OPTIMIZATION OF

ENGINE TRUSS MOUNT

BRACKET USING
SOLID THINKING
INSPIRE

Case study done by,

Vivekanandh. S. S
Deputy Manager,
ARDC, HAL.
ENGINE TRUSS MOUNT ARRANGEMENT
Engine
truss
mount
brackets

Location for
engine
attachment

Bulkhead

Bracket
considered for
study
Truss structure
BRACKET CONSIDERED FOR OPTIMIZATION
 MATERIAL AND BOUNDARY CONDITION OF THE BRACKET

MATERIAL : NCM STEEL BAR

MATERIAL SPEC : BS 5S 99D

YIELD STRENGTH : 1080 MPa

POISSON’S RATIO : 0.29
DENSITY : 7850 Kg/m2

ACTUAL PART WEIGHT: 0.434 Kg

LOADS AT THE LUG END OF THE BRACKET:

FX = -24910 N

FY = 6216.58 N

FZ = 8652.63 N
 TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION CARRIED OUT IN INSPIRE

Design space
considered for
optimization

Non-design
space for
bearing
attachment
Non-design
space for
Bulkhead
attachment

Weight of the design space – 0.9442 Kg

ITERATION 1 WITH MASS TARGET AS 30% WITHOUT Mfg. CONSTRAINT

Weight of the optimized design

space – 0.251 Kg

VON-MISES PLOT

OPTIMIZED DESIGN SPACE

Max. Von mises stress - 241.9 Mpa

Max. Displacement - 0.041 mm
DISPLACEMENT PLOT
ITERATION 2 WITH MASS TARGET AS 10% WITHOUT Mfg. CONSTRAINT

Weight of the optimized design

space – 0.073 Kg

VON-MISES PLOT

OPTIMIZED DESIGN SPACE

Max. Von mises stress – 649.2 Mpa

Max. Displacement - 0.093 mm

DISPLACEMENT PLOT
ITERATION 3 WITH MASS TARGET AS 15% WITH Mfg. CONSTRAINT

Weight of the optimized design

space – 0.1288 Kg

VON-MISES PLOT

OPTIMIZED DESIGN SPACE

Max. Von mises stress – 443.7 Mpa

Max. Displacement - 0.058 mm
DISPLACEMENT PLOT
 INFERENCE FROM INSPIRE ANALYSIS

 The topology optimized by Inspire is in accordance with the load

path for the given boundary condition.

 The Load path for the given problem is from the point of
application of load to the points of supports(bolted region of the
bracket)

 The optimized topology cannot be used directly for manufacturing

as it is difficult to produced by conventional methods(eg.
Machining).

 The topology also doesn’t cater for the space required for
attachment of bolts on the base plate.

 But this optimized topology can be used as the basis for

modeling the producible part with a similar load path.
PART MODELED BASED ON OPTIMIZED TOPOLOGY FOR MACHINING

Extra bolt hole added to

reduce displacement

Ribs are added along the load path

Optimized shape given by Inspire

Material removed for weight saving

 VALIDATION OF PART
NX ADVANCED SIMULATION USING NASTRAN SOLVER
DISPLACEMENT PLOT VON-MISES PLOT

ANALYSIS RESULTS FROM INSPIRE

DATA NX RESULTS INSPIRE RESULTS

The above values are well within the
Max. Von mises stress 737.25 MPa 789.5 MPa
allowable limit as per the material
Max. Displacement 0.236 mm 0.233 mm data.
 FINAL COMPARISON

Part Weight– 0.434 Kg

Weight Saving– 0.166 Kg

Approx. 38% Weight saving

Part Weight– 0.268 Kg

 CONCLUSION

 The Weight saving achieved on the above bracket is 0.166Kg

 Similar scheme can be implemented to other three brackets

supporting the engine truss members.

 Overall weight saving achieved by implementing this optimization

scheme to other brackets is around 1Kg.

 ‘Inspire’ is used as a software for topology optimization at the

preliminary level for the designers.

 ‘Inspire’ aids us to visualize the load path for any given structural
problem and helps us take modeling decisions based on that.

 Future updates in ‘Inspire’ should cater for analysis of assemblies

and thickness optimization of sheet metal parts as they are very
important for aerospace design.