The Research Of Structural Topology Optimization Based On The Hybrid Cellular Automaton Method

Compared with the sectional optimization or parametric optimization, the topology optimal design is recognized as a more difficult and challenging subject in the structural optimization field. Cellular automaton (CA) has become an effective tool to explore complex systems for simulating the complicated global continuous system with the simple local evolutionary rule and discrete method. The hybrid cellular automaton (HCA) algorithm is a method that combines elements of the cellular automaton paradigm with finite element analysis (FEA). It provides a promising technique for continuum structural topology optimization.There are some basic researches on the topology optimal design of structure by HCA algorithm. This paper presents an improved approach which is applicable to variable loads, multiple load cases, stress and displacement constraints, and realizes topology optimal design of 2D and 3D continuum structures by MATLAB and ANSYS software. Numerical examples indicate that the enhanced method based on HCA algorithm is computationally efficient to solve topology optimization problems.Contrasting with the traditional methods, the improved approach not only reduces the calculation load and enhances solving efficiency, but also overcomes numerical instabilities such as the checkerboarding effect and mesh dependency. It also can be applied to 2D continuum structure and extended to 3D applications directly. The application of the HCA method, the local transition rules to other more complex conditions needs to be studied further.