Design optimization for structural thermal buckling

In this article, the numerical method of design optimization for structural thermal buckling is investigated. The analysis of heat conduction and structural stress and buckling are considered at the same time in the design optimization procedure. Based on the finite element method, the research takes the heat conduction and the structural buckling analysis into account. The unified finite element model is applied for both the thermal analysis and structural analysis. The coupling sensitivity effects of heat conduction on the structural thermal buckling are studied. The direct method and the adjoint method are employed to derive the sensitivity equations of the thermal buckling. The adjoint method for thermal buckling sensitivity analysis is proposed first here, and the coupling effects of the problem are particularly addressed. In the sensitivity analysis, the semianalytical method, which is adaptive for various elements and many kinds of design variables, is employed. Based on the results of the coupling...