EMS726U/P – Engineering Design Optimisation and Decision Making
Coursework
Structural topology optimisation with HyperWorks
Aim of the coursework: Learning how to perform. and analyse results of structural topology optimisation.
An individual report on design optimisation of an object, related to the student’s programme of study, using HyperWorks© software from Altair Engineering, available at QMUL.
Expected format for submission: Report, as a pdf file, online submission (on QMPlus). Use front size no smaller than 10 and margins of 2.54 cm.
Penalties for exceeding word/page limit if given: Make sure that the report for this item of coursework is contained within 10 pages including the contents page, tables, figures and any appendices, plus a title page, i.e. 11 pages in total. Please note that information presented in any pages after page 11 will not be marked.
Marking Criteria:
A clear definition of the topology optimisation problem, appropriate choice of the design domain, support conditions and loads. An investigation of the influence of the volume fraction value on the quality of the obtained design. An engineer’s interpretation of the obtained topology as a valid structure.
Include in the report: Title page, Contents page, Results of topology optimisation, Discussion and conclusions, References. Your results must be reproducible from the information given in the report.
Please note that the title page, table of contents and any appendices do count towards the page limit.
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Marking scheme |
Tasks and guidance |
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25% |
Formulate a 3-D topology optimization problem of your own choice that relates to the field of your study. While the clarity of the problem formulation and correctness of its solution is most important and sufficient for the award of the full mark, an industrial relevance of a problem that you chose is particularly encouraged and will be also rewarded in marking of this assignment Solve this topology optimization problem for the minimum compliance whilst imposing an appropriate constraint on the volume fraction. You may need to try several different values of the volume fraction in order to obtain a clear structure Put in the report the picture of the obtained material distribution, describe your observations. 20%. Note that a small variation of an example considered in the tutorials will not be accepted, it should be a sufficiently different problem. Also, you cannot submit as your problems any of tutorial problems provided by the training materials of Altair Engineering. |
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15% |
Describe the main steps in the procedure of topology optimization that you have used to solve your topology optimisation problem, 10% Discuss your choice of the parameters of optimization, 5% |
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20% |
As an engineer, interpret the obtained result by and indicate potential for its use, 5% Sketch your technical proposal for the structure that you have obtained, 5% Draw conclusions from your experience you have gained, 5% Comments: Make sure that you specified a sufficiently large design space in which the optimizer looks for the solution of the problem, e.g. it is suggested not to introduce |
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only a few finite elements in one of the dimensions. Do not impose on the topology optimisation tool the type of structure you expect to see, give it enough design freedom (design space) and see what it comes up with. Note that if you do not see a clear structure emerging from the solution, you should modify the settings of the topology optimization setup (Volume Fraction, Discrete, Member Size, etc.) and include them in the Results part of the report. |
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20% |
Give a brief (about half a page of typed text) opinion on the usefulness (or otherwise) of topology optimization in your field of study, support your opinion by an example of a relevant application, 20% Comment: do not repeat the material from the lectures, it should be a personal opinion. |
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20% |
Report layout: 5% Writing style, grammar: 5% Presentation of information quality: 10% (equations 2.5%, tables 2.5%, pictures 2.5%, references 2.5%) |
Comments:
• Access to the HyperWorks software is provided by QMUL’s Appsanywhere (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/its/our-services/staff/appsanywhere/) software access facility and in IT class. Alternatively, you can download a student version of software that has the same functionality as the full version but with a limit on the size of the Finite Element mesh (in terms of the number of finite elements).
• The student version is available from the student-oriented support website for which a free registration is available (you need to use your university email address to register). Also, it provides student support in the use of software including questions and answers and student forum. You can use the following link to download the HyperMesh installer:
https://altairone.com/Marketplace?tab=Download&app=HyperMesh
The solver needs to be downloaded too:
https://altairone.com/Marketplace?tab=Download&app=OptiStruct
You need to download and install HyperMesh v2024.1 AND OptiStruct ( The package to be installed is named “Mechanical Solvers 2024(.1)”)
• There will be no mark reduction if the student version is used (instead of the full version from Appsanywhere) as long as the process and interpretation of the result are correct.
• Please note that information presented in any pages after page 10 will not be marked.
Student’s checklist:
• check boundary conditions to make sure that the structure is fixed against rigid body movements,
• check loads making sure they are representative of real-life structural behaviour,
• select appropriate settings in HyperMesh and OptiStruct, e.g. volume fraction, to make sure that a valid design is obtained,
• interpret the obtained design as a realistic engineering structure, think of how it can be manufactured.
Late submission penalty:
For every period of 24 hours, or part thereof, that an assessment is overdue there shall be a deduction of five per cent (5%) of the total marks available (i.e. five marks for an assessment marked out of 100). After seven calendar days (late by 168 hours or more) the mark shall be reduced to zero. For more information see the taught programme academic regulations.
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