Fail-Safe Topology Optimization Using Damage Scenario Filtering

Within the framework of isotropic materials, this paper introduces an efficient topology optimization method that incorporates fail-safe design considerations using a penalty function approach. Existing methods are either computationally expensive or overlook fail-safe requirements during optimization. This approach not only achieves optimized structures with fail-safe characteristics, but also significantly enhances the computational efficiency of fail-safe topology optimization. In this method, the minimization of worst-case compliance serves as the optimization objective, employing the Kreisselmeier–stein Hauser function to approximate the non-differentiable maximum operator. A sensitivity analysis, derived through the adjoint method, is utilized, and a universal fail-safe optimization criterion is developed to update the design variables. During the optimization process for fail-safe strategies, a density-based filtering method is applied, effectively reducing damage scenarios. Finally, the effectiveness and computational efficiency of this method are validated through several numerical examples.