Design of Thrust Vectoring Using EFEA-Based Topology Optimization Under Mid-to-High Frequency Vibration Environment

Abstract Thrust vectoring of an aeroengine is subjected to complex gas impacts. Thrust vectoring experiences intense mid-to-high frequency vibrations caused by the airflow environment. Consequently, the analysis and design of such curved structures in the mid-to-high frequency ranges are important. Energy-based vibration analysis serves as a fundamental methodology for investigating mid-to-high frequency vibration, while such analysis is missed in the topology optimization of curved structures. Two challenges led to this research gap. One is that the wave-type conversion caused by curved structures leads to a complex, discontinuous field of vibration energy, which is rarely discussed in previous topology optimization studies. The other is that previous studies on energy-based optimization lack a topological description method to adapt to arbitrary curved structures. This article proposes an Energy Finite Element Analysis-based topology optimization of curved structures to solve the gap. Several basic techniques are provided, including the meshing method for discontinuous fields, energy analysis in curved surfaces, and the conformal mapping method to apply Movable Morphable Component to curved structures. The proposed optimization is applied to design the thrust vectoring, where the energy compliance is improved by 67.75%. Meanwhile, the optimization result is verified through classic finite element analysis. The analysis indicates that the maximum displacement, maximum stress, and root mean square values of displacement in sensitive regions are reduced by 65.95%, 43.24%, and 5.88%—51.57%, respectively. The dynamic performance of thrust vectoring is effectively improved. Furthermore, the proposed method can be extended to various curved structures.