Contact Shape Optimization

Abstract

A finite element approach (or shape optimization in 20 (rictionless contact problem for two different cost(unctions is presented in this work. The goal is to find an appropriate shape (or the contact boundary, performing an almost constant contact-stress distribution. The whole (ormulation, including mathematical model for the unilateral problem, sensitivity analysis and geometry definition is treated ia a continuous (ann, independently o( the discretization in finite elements. Shape optimization is performed by direct modification or geometry through B-Spline curves and an automatic mesh generator is used at each new configuratioa to provide the finite element input data. Augmented-Lagrangian techniques (to solve the contact problem) and an interior-point mathematical-programming algorithm «(or shape optimization) are used to obtain numerical results.