1.3.2 Lattice structure topology optimization

Lattice structure topology optimization refers to optimizing the macrostructure based on varying-density candidate lattice units. It pre-establishes a mathematical surrogate model to build the analytical relationship between the effective mechanical/physical properties of the candidate lattice and the lattice parameters describing its size and shape. The lattice may be isotropic, orthotropic, or even anisotropic, and its effective mechanical/physical properties can be obtained through numerical homogenization. After the preparation, the geometric parameters or the relative density of the candidate lattice are employed as design variables for multiscale lattice structure topology optimization, and importantly, homogenization is not repetitively performed during optimization that can significantly reduce the computational cost. Meanwhile, the consistent lattice topology ensures excellent connectivity between adjacent unit cells. Given the above advantages, lattice structures have been widely accepted and adopted in performance-demanding engineering structures.