THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED THREE-YEAR PROJECT IS TO FORMULATE A 3D GIGA RESOLUTION LEVEL SET TOPOLOGY OP…

Assistance award details

Assistance award identifier

ASST_NON_80NSSC18M0153_080

FAIN

80NSSC18M0153

Recipient

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

Awarding agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Funding agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Assistance listing (CFDA)

43.002

Total obligated

$574,989

Period

Sep 1, 2018 – Aug 31, 2021

Fiscal year

2018

Place of performance state

CA

Source file

FY2018_All_Assistance_Full_20261006.zip

Description

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED THREE-YEAR PROJECT IS TO FORMULATE A 3D GIGA RESOLUTION LEVEL SET TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION FOR COMBINED STRUCTURAL (LOAD-CARRYING) AND THERMAL (HEAT REJECTING) FUNCTIONALITIES. THE KEY SCIENTIFIC INNOVATIONS ARE: (1) LEVEL SET TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION (LSTO) CROSSING 10^9 LENGTH SCALES USING OPENVDB; (2) OPENVDB-LSTO IN OPENMDAO; (3) LSTO WITH MULTIPLE MATERIAL; (4) THERMOMECHANICAL LSTO FOR HEAT CONVECTION WITH MOVING BOUNDARIES WITH CONDUCTION AND THERMOMECHANICS; AND (5) CASE STUDIES BASED ON ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT PROPULSION SYSTEM COMPONENTS DEMONSTRATING IMPROVED THERMAL-MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO A BASELINE NON-COUPLED DESIGN. THE FUNDAMENTAL METHOD PROPOSED IN THE PROJECT IS LEVEL SET TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION WITH SPARSE DATE. TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION IS WELL KNOWN TO PRODUCE DESIGNS THAT DEPART SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE TRADITIONAL DESIGNS. THE LEVEL SET BASED METHOD HAS AN ADDED ADVANTAGE OF PRODUCING CLEAR BOUNDARIES WHICH IS CHALLENGING IN THE TRADITIONAL ELEMENT-BASED METHODS (E.G. SIMP). THE LEVEL SET METHOD IS THUS PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR PHYSICS WHERE THE CLEAR BOUNDARIES ARE NEEDED TO DEFINE THE SURFACE PHYSICS SUCH AS CONVECTION. SMALL FEATURES ARE CONSIDERED BENEFICIAL FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT AS HEAT TRANSFER PER UNIT AREA SCALES INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL WITH A CHARACTERISTIC DIMENSION AND THE SURFACE AREA-TO-VOLUME RATIO INCREASES WITH THE DECREASING DIMENSION ACHIEVING ENHANCED EFFICIENCY PER UNIT VOLUME. HENCE ARCHITECTED MATERIAL AND MICROLATTICES ARE COMMONLY STUDIED FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES. METAMATERIAL PROPERTIES SUCH AS NEGATIVE THERMAL EXPANSION HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED. HOWEVER SUCH DESIGNS TYPICALLY ASSUME PERIODIC MATERIAL THUS OPTIMIZE A UNIT CELL. THIS PERIODICITY REQUIREMENT RESTRICTS THE DESIGN SPACE AND A WIDER DESIGN SPACE WILL BE SEARCHED BY ENABLING A 10^9 RESOLUTION WITHOUT PERIODICITY. THE STATE OF THE ART PUBLISHED IN NATURE 2017 OPTIMIZED A CRM WING WITH 10^9 ELEMENTS FOR THREE LOAD CASES. THEY