Density-based topology optimization for minimizing von Mises stress using the modified optimality criteria method and demonstration by tensile testing

The authors propose a modified optimality criteria (OC) method that incorporates the concept of Newton's method for the OC method. The modified OC method has fewer arbitrary parameters set by the engineer. In this study, density-based topology optimization for minimizing von Mises stress (VMS) using a modified OC method is performed. In this problem, the value of the second-order derivative is not always positive semidefinite. Thus, the concept of the modified Newton's method is incorporated into the modified OC method. In conclusion, the performance function descends more quickly and with less dependence on parameter settings than when using the OC method. A mathematical proof of the convergence properties of the modified OC method, based on the Newton's method proof, is also presented. To encourage manufacturing, optimal designs obtained by strain energy or VMS minimization were fabricated and evaluated by tensile testing.