A three-dimensional wide curve is a spatial curve with variable cross sections. This paper introduces a geometric optimization method for spatial compliant mechanisms by using three-dimensional wide curves. In this paper, every material connection in a spatial compliant mechanism is represented by a three-dimensional wide curve and the whole spatial compliant mechanism is modeled as a set of connected three-dimensional wide curves. The geometric optimization of a spatial compliant mechanism is considered as the generation and optimal selection of the control parameters of the corresponding three-dimensional parametric wide curves. The deformation and performance of spatial compliant mechanisms are evaluated by the isoparametric degenerate-continuum nonlinear finite element procedure. The problem-dependent objectives are optimized and the practical constraints are imposed during the optimization process. The optimization problem is solved by the MATLAB constrained nonlinear programming algorithm.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Keywords:
cantilevers, finite element analysis, flexible structures, nonlinear programming, structural engineering
Topics:
Compliant mechanisms, Deformation, Optimization, Design, Geometry, Grippers, Cross section (Physics), Finite element analysis, Nonlinear programming, Topology
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 by American Society of Mechanical Engineers
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