A Tractable Robust Topology Optimization for Anomalous Non-Symmetric Cases

Abstract

In the practice of robust optimality design, robust and deterministic optimal configurations are usually expected to differ. Therefore, most research in this area tries to illustrate the effect of uncertainty by comparing robust and deterministic designs, which is not generalizable because it is easy to define a non-symmetric case in which the robust expected-compliance minimum and the nominal-compliance minimum design will be the same. This anomaly requires new techniques that allow for deeper insights. In this paper, an anomaly-resolving strategy is presented for such cases when the nominal and robust compliance are the same in the optimization of a volume-constrained continuous topology with directionally uncertain loads.