Author(s)

Z. Erman & R.T. Fenner

Abstract

Design sensitivity of three-dimensional structures using the Boundary Integral Equation Method (BIEM) is investigated. Direct implicit differentiation ol BIEM equations is performed analytically to obtain traction, displacement and equivalent stress sensitivities for the design optimization. A new procedure is employed - instead of differentiating equations with respect to co-ordinates ol the design variable, they are differentiated with respect to the normal to the surface at the design variable point. Hence the computational time is reduced by a factor of three. During the numerical evaluation of analytically derived BIEM sensitivity equations, triangular and quadrilateral elements are used. Some nodes of a movable part of the

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