Lightweight design of arm-like systems by coupling topology optimization and bio-inspired drive optimization

在该项目中，研究了一种方法，该方法可以同时优化臂式系统相关结构设计的拓扑结构和传动概念的设计参数。出于资源效率和良好的动态行为两方面的原因，这些系统必须尽可能轻。通过结构设计和传动方案的自主优化，可以减轻系统的重量。通过同时优化结构和传动系统，可以进一步提高轻量化，从而能够考虑传动质量对结构的影响。当驱动可以通过驱动力主动影响结构中的载荷分布时，驱动和结构拓扑的联合优化也很重要。在生物学中，描述了一种肌肉骨骼系统的方法，称为“张力和弦原理”，这种影响是通过肌肉发生的。这种方法被认为是骨量低的几个原因之一。通过直线传动的传动概念和传动概念的优化，该方法的技术实施是可能的。臂状技术系统的驱动重量和设计空间在很大程度上取决于所选择的执行器的工作原理(直流电机、液压、气动、肌肉等)、其性能等级和齿轮(直接驱动、谐波驱动、电缆驱动、皮带驱动等)。因此，对该方法的轻量级潜力的概括处理并不是微不足道的。驱动概念的设计参数是其负载应用点的数量、位置和攻角。拓扑优化可以使结构在一定的优化载荷情况下以及各种目标和约束函数下进行优化。什么样的建模努力和自动化程度与什么样的轻量级设计潜力和研究益处相对应，这将是至关重要的。为此，要解决的问题是，仿真模型必须如何详细，才能代表轻量级设计的潜力。此外，应该澄清哪些输入和输出变量是可用的，哪些必须假定是必要的。其结果将是一个自动化的过程，可以用于优化不同的ARM类型的系统。考虑所有相关的影响因素意味着努力实现具有不同类型模拟的影响变量的自动优化或多个子问题的联合优化(多层次优化)。使用设计启发式算法将提高优化的效率。特别是，技术张力和弦原理被用于仿生驱动优化，以设计选定的臂状系统实例。

In the project, a method is to be researched with which it is possible to optimize both the topology of the associated structural design of armlike systems, and design parameters of the drive concept at the same time. These systems must be as light as possible, both for reasons of resource efficiency and for favorable dynamic behavior. The weight of the system can be reduced by independently optimizing the structural design and the drive concept. Weight reduction can be further improved by optimizing structure and drive system at the same time, which enables to consider, e. g., the influence of the drive masses on the structure. Combined optimization of actuation and structure topology is also important when drives can actively influence the load distribution in the structure through the driving forces. In biology, an approach is described for the musculoskeletal system called "tension chording principle" with which such an influence takes place via muscles. The approach is considered as one of several reasons for the low bone mass. The technical implementation of the approach is possible through drive concepts with linear drives and drive concept optimization. The drive weight and the design space of an arm-like technical system both depend heavily on the chosen operating principle of the actuator (DC motor, hydraulics, pneumatics, muscle, ...), its performance class and the gear (direct drive, harmonic drive, cable drive, belt drive, ...). Consequently, a generalized treatment of the lightweight potential of the approach is not trivial. Design parameters of the drive concept are the number, position, and angle of attack of its load application points. The topology optimization allows the structure to be optimized for certain optimize load cases and various objective and constraint functions. It will be crucial what modeling effort and degree of automation corresponds to what lightweight design potential and benefit to research. To this end, the question to be addressed is how the simulation models must be detailed to be able to represent the lightweight design potential. In addition, it should be clarified which input and output variables are available, and which must be assumed to be necessary. The result is going to be an automatic process that can be used to optimize different arm-type systems. To consider all relevant influencing factors means to strive for enabling an automated optimization with influencing variables from different types of simulations or the joint optimization of several sub-problems (multi-level optimization). The efficiency of the optimization is going to be improved using design heuristics. In particular, the technical tension chording principle is used for bio-inspired drive optimization to design selected examples of arm-like systems.