Combination of the guide-weight criterion and BESO method for fast and stable topology optimization of two-dimensional continuum structures

This paper proposes a new method for topology optimization of two-dimensional (2D) continuum structures by combining the features of the guide-weight criterion and the conventional bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method. The distribution of material is dominated by guide weights instead of sensitivity numbers. Benefitting from high computational efficiency and the existence of intermediate design variables of the guide-weight criterion, this new algorithm further improves the convergence speed and stability of the objective function. Several typical topology optimization examples of 2D continuum structures are used to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method. Numerical results show that convergent, mesh-independent and nearly black-and-white solutions can be achieved and that the proposed method is more stable and efficient than the conventional BESO method.