Structural Optimization Workflow in Matlab

Dear friends!

My question is aimed at people who deal with optimization problems coupled with FEA and use Matlab for that, and is the following:

suppose I have some 3D geometry that I can use to perform say deformation analysis, but I import it from Inventor.

I want to not only determine deformation or strain in the geometry, but I also want to optimize that geometry in order to meet some design requirements.

if I want to use Matlab for that, what is the workflow in this case? is it even possible to only use Matlab?

I believe you could say, that Inventor itself has structural analysis and topological optimization tools, but my primary tool in engineering is Matlab, and I want to perform as much as I can in Matlab environment, if that is possible.

[Mario Malic]

Can you check Siemens HEEDS and Design Space Exploration. There are already tools for what you want to do. But yes, it's doable.

[Alexander Babin]

@Mario Malic these are external tools that cannot be linked to matlab. so, the answer to my question is that there is no way i can do it in matlab?

[Mario Malic]

There is, but the question is, how do you want to drive your optimization, how do you want to chose values for your optimisation variables. You can try optimisation and global optimisation toolbox.

Start with defining the the objective, what do you want to minimise? What model dimensions (variables) will affect your objective value?

1. Prepare the CAD model to be optimised

You'll have to dig into the text files of your model to find out where these dimensions are so you can change them automatically. This needs to guarantee that by changing these dimensions, model will not generate invalid geometry. You can use lower and upper bounds for variables.

2. Prepare the FEA model, loads, boundary conditions, etc. and solve it

I've noticed on on of your questions that you want to do it in MATLAB. You'll need to prepare, solve model and generate results

3. Postprocess the results

This is where you will read the generated file or data and set the value of objective function for current iteration/evaluation step.

All of these steps must work seamlesly to be put in a loop.

[Precise Simulation]

It should be possible using either of the PDE or FEATool Multiphysics MATLAB toolboxes. You can then write your own scripts around the toolbox APIs to perform parametric simulations and studies in MATLAB, or the more complex approach of using the Optimization toolbox to perform topology optimization.