Analysis and optimal design of a titanium aircraft bracket using topology optimization

Abstract: Sustainable engineering within product development is becoming increasingly important with the ever-growing amounts of resources used to sustain the human way of life in modern times. An effective way of helping to deal with this problem is to reduce the resources used in products and components across the world. This thesis explores the effectiveness of the topology optimization method in achieving significant material reductions whilst maintaining structural strength and integrity when designing an aircraft component. The part is an engine handling mounting bracket which will be optimized to be produced by additive manufacturing, and so restrictions imposed by traditional manufacturing methods are not considered, allowing for larger material reductions to be achieved. The original bracket part was provided by GE Electric, and the computer software Abaqus computer aided engineering with integrated TOSCA was used to solve the problem. Two trials were conducted, with the first being used to gain knowledge and understanding of the optimization features of the software. The basic requirements for the optimized design were that it should be able to withstand four given static load cases without undergoing plastic deformation, and these load cases were applied separately in trial 1 for simplicity. The second trial was conducted with a higher complexity, utilising multi-objective topology optimization which allowed the load cases to be weighted individually whilst being applied simultaneously during optimization. The resulting bracket part that was created with the help of the optimized topology from trial 2 reduced the volume of the original part by over 75%. This also left potential for further material reductions as the optimized part did not undergo plastic deformation when subject to any of the four load cases of the study. In conclusion, topology optimization seems to be extremely helpful when designing components that have clearly defined load cases, producing results that designers and engineers can have confidence in. The method does however have its flaws, such as difficulties in utilising the optimized topology directly to create a computer aided design part file. The post-processing process needed to achieve such a part is also time-consuming although it must be implemented to create a digital part that can be analysed and verified by FEA.