Meshless approach to shape optimization of linear thermoelastic solids

This paper presents a formulation for shape optimization in thermoelasticity using a meshless method, namely the element-free Galerkin method. Two examples are treated in detail and comparisons with previously published >nite element analysis results demonstrate the excellent opportunities the EFG o?ers for solving these types of problems. Smoother stresses, no remeshing, and better accuracy than >nite element solutions, permit answers to shape optimization problems in thermoelasticity that are practically unattainable with the classical FEM without remeshing. For the thermal >n example, the EFG >nds >nger shapes that are missed by the FEM analysis, and the objective value is greatly improved compared to the FEM solution. A study of the in@uence of the number of design parameters is performed and it is observed that the EFG can give better results with a smaller number of design parameters than is possible with traditional methods