Concurrent optimization method of principal stress orientation interpolated continuous fiber angle (PSO-CFAO) and structural topology

Continuous fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have been widely applied in aerospace and other fields due to their excellent mechanical properties, which highly depends on the material distribution and fiber orientations. The designability of CFRP structures and fiber distributions provides an opportunity for achieving better physical properties through optimization. However, local optima and the dependence of initial fiber angle variables make the concurrent optimization of fiber orientation and topology a challenging problem. In this paper, the principal stress orientation interpolated continuous fiber angle optimization (PSO-CFAO) method combined with the independent continuous mapping (ICM) method is proposed to realize the design of CFRP structures with a clear macroscopic topology and microscopic fiber distribution. A sigmoid function is applied to interpolate the fiber angle variables by the principal stress orientation. The fiber angle variables are modified and a continuous fiber design is obtained during the iteration process, which reduces the possibility of a local optimum. Several examples are provided to prove the effectiveness and stability of the proposed method, and the expected results are acquired for different initial fiber angles, material parameters and mesh densities. The proposed method provides guidance for the design of CFRP structures and the planning of fiber laying paths.