Structural Optimization Techniques to Design Light Weight and Low Radiated Noise Components 10-02-03-0013

Structural optimization evolved as a preferred technique across industries to develop lightweight products. One of the widely studied topics in structural optimization is to develop methods that reduce the radiated noise from a structure, where responses like Equivalent Radiated Power (ERP) and natural frequencies used to indirectly address the noise levels. This article compares freeform optimization with topology optimization technique and investigates their effectiveness for reducing radiated noise and weight. To illustrate the same, Finite Element Method (FEM) and Boundary Element Method (BEM) analyses are performed on a sheet metal flat plate (panel) as an example and correlated the same with experimental data. Further, different optimization problem formulations have been explored on those examples and results have been compared.

The aim of this study is to identify an effective optimization technique and problem formulation, which can be deployed on complex engineering products to reduce the radiated noise with a minimum weight penalty.