Tailoring Macroscale Response of Mechanical and Heat Transfer Systems by Topology Optimization of Microstructural Details

The aim of this book chapter is to demonstrate a methodology for tailoring macroscale response by topology optimizing microstructural details. The microscale and macroscale response are completely coupled by treating the full model. The multiscale finite element method (MsFEM) for high-contrast material parameters is proposed to alleviate the high computational cost associated with solving the discrete systems arising during the topology optimization process. Problems within important engineering areas, heat transfer and linear elasticity, are considered for exemplifying the approach. It is demonstrated that it is important to account for the boundary effects to ensure prescribed behavior of the macrostructure. The obtained microstructures are designed for specific applications, in contrast to more traditional homogenization approaches where the microstructure is designed for specific material properties.