Topology Optimization: A Compact Review and Comparation on Level Set Technique Development in Single and Multi-material

Abstract

Lightweight structural design is being researched and applied across many fields, including mechanical engineering, aerospace, and manufacturing. Among the many methods used to reduce material weight while ensuring structural strength, topology optimization has become a common choice due to its ability to optimize single-material, multi-material, and other multi-material structures such as composites or porous materials. In this review article, a summary of recent research on variants of the Level Set-based topology optimization method and their effects on structural topology optimization is presented. Among the variations and extensions of the level set method, three approaches are highlighted in this study: Radial Basis Functions, Reaction-Diffusion Equation, and Velocity Field Level Set Method, with emphasis on computation speed, computational cost, optimizer, and volume fraction. This is a new aspect of this review, as it synthesizes quantitative results from studies to clarify the optimization capabilities of each approach. This optimization capability will influence more complex studies, such as multi-material optimization. Furthermore, this study compares the three selected approaches on the same system using open-source code for education to complete previously unpublished results, thereby clarifying the advantages and disadvantages of each approach in greater detail. From this, this review provides clear reasons for new studies to develop methods for more complex computational domains