Algorithmic design processes offer a level of mathematical rigor that can both augment and complement human creativity. By incorporating algorithms earlier and more deeply in the design process, we will ultimately enable the creation of better performing designs. Structural topology optimization is particularly well-suited to this task, as it can be used to automatically generate novel design concepts, as well as to optimize conventional design configurations. This seminar will explore the use of topology optimization for the design of complex structures, each of which presents unique challenges within the context of computational design. By combining nonlinear finite element analysis with original numerical optimization strategies, we investigate several example problems, including optimal design of an elliptically cambered non-planar wing, a bi-stable airfoil structure, and functionally graded compliant mechanisms. Additionally, we present a novel framework for computational synthesis of compound machines using a multi-body design approach.

About the speaker...
Kai James joined the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as an assistant professor in 2015. Prior to this, he was a postdoc at Columbia University in New York, and he earned his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies in 2012. His research focuses on computational solid mechanics and computational design optimization with an emphasis on problems involving various sources of nonlinearity, including viscoelastic creep, aeroelastic coupling, and large deformations. He is especially interested in developing novel algorithms that leverage high-fidelity computational models and topology optimization methods for conceptual design and synthesis of complex engineering structures and mechanisms. Some of his major research projects include aerostructural optimization of transonic aircraft wings, structural design optimization of a cardiovascular stent, and optimal design of resilient structures while accounting for material damage and viscoelastic effects.