Mixed topology optimization: A self-guided boundary-independent approach for power sources

As the use of electrochemical devices becomes more prevalent, advanced optimization techniques, such as topology optimization, are being employed to improve their performance. Among various electrochemical systems, power sources have an intrinsic best operating point that corresponds to the maximum output power. This study proposes a mixed topology optimization approach to enhance the performance of these systems by a simultaneous modification of electrode structure and the working condition. In contrast to the conventional approaches, the proposed method focuses on enhancement of the maximum power point. Thanks to its self-guidance feature, this technique outperforms conventional topology optimization methods and eliminates the need for a prior decision on the optimization starting point. Therefore, the proposed approach has a significant potential for adapting the material distribution to the best working condition. The proposed approach enables more effective topological optimization and takes the utilization of topology optimization in power sources to the next level. [Display omitted] •A mixed topology optimization strategy is introduced for power sources.•The proposed method outperforms the conventional topology optimization strategies.•Mixed topology optimization is a self-guide and boundary-indepdent method.•The superiority of this method is tested on an electrochemical system.