Research project: Power flow topology optimizations for engineering structures to suppress vibration and noise

For structural optimization, even under static loading conditions, if choosing to vary each design parameter in only a few finite numbers of steps, the number of combinations of these parameters grows very quickly making the design-space extremely large for any exhaustive search. When structures are subjected to dynamic excitations, the problem gets further complicated because the response fluctuates with the parameter quite rapidly.

Power flow analysis provides an important tool to assess vibration transmission and noise emission. More importantly, power flow, combining both force and velocity as a single parameter, is a better performance descriptor or objective function for evaluating control efficiency and designing optimal vibration control systems. Taking the advantages of the power flow approach, the proposed research aims to develop novel energy flow based dynamic topological design optimization approach for structures to suppress vibration and noise radiation with reduced structure weight. The research is of practical importance to marine industry to reduce structure-borne, waterborne and air-borne noise.