2-D and 3-D shape optimization using mesh velocities to integrate analytical sensitivities with associative CAD

The design sensitivities generated with the mesh velocity method, used by the authors, are compared with those obtained by the boundary layer and boundary displacement methods. The effect of adaptive mesh refinement and error control on the quality of the velocity fields is discussed, as well as their ability to yield accurate first-order predictions of constraint values. Two numerical shape optimization examples of a 2D and a 3D component are presented. These examples are used to illustrate the benefits of integrating analytical methods of design sensitivity analysis with parametric capabilities supported by state-of-the-art CAD systems.