TY - THES A1 - Will, Johannes T1 - Beitrag zur Standsicherheitsberechnung im geklüfteten Fels in der Kontinuums- und Diskontinuumsmechanik unter Verwendung impliziter und expliziter Berechnungsstrategien T1 - Structural safety analysis for jointed rock with continuum and discontinuum mechanics in implizit and explizit codes KW - Staumauer KW - Standsicherheit KW - Klüftung KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Diskrete-Elemente-Methode KW - Kontinuumsmechanik KW - Diskontinuumsmechanik KW - jointed rock KW - continuum mechanics KW - diskontinuum mechanics Y1 - 1999 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20040310-613 ER - TY - THES A1 - Häfner, Stefan T1 - Grid-based procedures for the mechanical analysis of heterogeneous solids N2 - The importance of modern simulation methods in the mechanical analysis of heterogeneous solids is presented in detail. Thereby the problem is noted that even for small bodies the required high-resolution analysis reaches the limits of today's computational power, in terms of memory demand as well as acceptable computational effort. A further problem is that frequently the accuracy of geometrical modelling of heterogeneous bodies is inadequate. The present work introduces a systematic combination and adaption of grid-based methods for achieving an essentially higher resolution in the numerical analysis of heterogeneous solids. Grid-based methods are as well primely suited for developing efficient and numerically stable algorithms for flexible geometrical modeling. A key aspect is the uniform data management for a grid, which can be utilized to reduce the effort and complexity of almost all concerned methods. A new finite element program, called Mulgrido, was just developed to realize this concept consistently and to test the proposed methods. Several disadvantages which generally result from grid discretizations are selectively corrected by modified methods. The present work is structured into a geometrical model, a mechanical model and a numerical model. The geometrical model includes digital image-based modeling and in particular several methods for the theory-based generation of inclusion-matrix models. Essential contributions refer to variable shape, size distribution, separation checks and placement procedures of inclusions. The mechanical model prepares the fundamentals of continuum mechanics, homogenization and damage modeling for the following numerical methods. The first topic of the numerical model introduces to a special version of B-spline finite elements. These finite elements are entirely variable in the order k of B-splines. For homogeneous bodies this means that the approximation quality can arbitrarily be scaled. In addition, the multiphase finite element concept in combination with transition zones along material interfaces yields a valuable solution for heterogeneous bodies. As the formulation is element-based, the storage of a global stiffness matrix is superseded such that the memory demand can essentially be reduced. This is possible in combination with iterative solver methods which represent the second topic of the numerical model. Here, the focus lies on multigrid methods where the number of required operations to solve a linear equation system only increases linearly with problem size. Moreover, for badly conditioned problems quite an essential improvement is achieved by preconditioning. The third part of the numerical model discusses certain aspects of damage simulation which are closely related to the proposed grid discretization. The strong efficiency of the linear analysis can be maintained for damage simulation. This is achieved by a damage-controlled sequentially linear iteration scheme. Finally a study on the effective material behavior of heterogeneous bodies is presented. Especially the influence of inclusion shapes is examined. By means of altogether more than one hundred thousand random geometrical arrangements, the effective material behavior is statistically analyzed and assessed. N2 - Die wichtige Bedeutung moderner Simulationsverfahren in der mechanischen Analyse heterogener Festkörper wird eingangs ausführlich dargestellt. Dabei wird als Problem festgestellt, dass die erforderliche hochauflösende Analyse bereits für relativ kleine Körper an die Grenzen heutiger Rechenleistung stößt, sowohl bezüglich Speicherbedarf als auch akzeptablen Rechenaufwands. Ein weiteres Problem stellt die häufig unzureichend genaue geometrische Modellierung der Zusammensetzung heterogener Körper dar. Die vorliegende Arbeit führt eine systematische Kombination und Anpassung von gitterbasierten Methoden ein, um dadurch eine wesentlich höhere Auflösung in der numerischen Analyse heterogener Körper zu erzielen. Gitterverfahren eignen sich ebenfalls ausgezeichnet, um effiziente und numerisch stabile Algorithmen zur flexiblen geometrischen Modellierung zu entwickeln. Ein Schlüsselaspekt stellt ein gleichmäßiges Datenmanagement für Gitter dar, welches dafür eingesetzt werden kann, um den Aufwand und die Komplexität von nahezu allen beteiligten Methoden zu reduzieren. Ein neues Finite-Elemente Programm, namens Mulgrido, wurde eigens dafür entwickelt, um das vorgeschlagene Konzept konsistent zu realisieren und zu untersuchen. Einige Nachteile, die sich klassischerweise aus Gitterdiskretisierungen ergeben, werden gezielt durch modifizierte Verfahren korrigiert. Die gegenwärtige Arbeit gliedert sich in ein geometrisches Modell, ein mechanisches Modell und ein numerisches Modell. Das geometrische Modell beinhaltet neben Methoden der digitalen Bildverarbeitung, insbesondere sämtliche Verfahren zur künstlichen Generierung von Einschluss-Matrix Geometrien. Wesentliche Beiträge werden bezüglich variabler Form, Größenverteilung, Überschneidungsabfragen und Platzierung von Einschlüssen geleistet. Das mechanische Modell bereitet durch Grundlagen der Kontinuumsmechanik, der Homogenisierung und der Schädigungsmodellierung auf eine numerische Umsetzung vor. Als erstes Thema des numerischen Modells wird eine besondere Umsetzung von B-Spline Finiten Elementen vorgestellt. Diese Finite Elemente können generisch für eine beliebige Ordnung k der B-Splines erzeugt werden. Für homogene Körper verfügen diese somit über beliebig skalierbare Approximationseigenschaften. Mittels des Konzepts mehrphasiger Finite Elemente in Kombination mit Übergangszonen entlang von Materialgrenzen gelingt eine hochwertige Erweiterung für heterogene Körper. Durch die Formulierung auf Elementebene, kann die Speicherung der globalen Steifigkeitsmatrix und somit wesentlicher Speicherplatz eingespart werden. Dies ist möglich in Kombination mit iterativen Lösungsverfahren, die das zweite Thema des numerischen Modells darstellen. Dabei liegt der Fokus auf Mehrgitterverfahren. Diese zeichnen sich dadurch aus, dass die Anzahl der erforderlichen Operationen um ein lineares Gleichungssystem zu lösen, nur linear mit der Problemgröße ansteigt. Durch Vorkonditionierung wird für schlecht konditionierte Probleme eine ganz wesentliche Verbesserung erreicht. Als drittes Thema des numerischen Modells werden Aspekte der Schädigungssimulation diskutiert, die in engem Zusammenhang mit der Gitterdiskretisierung stehen. Die hohe Effizienz der linearen Analyse kann durch ein schädigungskontrolliertes, schrittweise lineares Iterationsschema für die Schädigungsanalyse aufrecht erhalten werden. Abschließend wird eine Studie über das effektive Materialverhalten heterogener Körper vorgestellt. Insbesondere wird der Einfluss der Form von Einschlüssen untersucht. Mittels insgesamt weit über hunderttausend zufälliger geometrischer Anordnungen wird das effektive Materialverhalten statistisch analysiert und bewertet. T2 - Gitterbasierte Verfahren zur mechanischen Analyse heterogener Festkörper KW - B-Spline KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Mehrgitterverfahren KW - Homogenisieren KW - Schädigung KW - Festkörpermechanik KW - Numerische Mathematik KW - B-Spline Finite Elemente KW - Homogenisierung KW - mehrphasig KW - Lösungsverfahren KW - Modellierung KW - B-spline KW - finite element KW - multigrid KW - multiphase KW - effective properties Y1 - 2006 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20070830-9185 ER - TY - THES A1 - Eckardt, Stefan T1 - Adaptive heterogeneous multiscale models for the nonlinear simulation of concrete N2 - The nonlinear behavior of concrete can be attributed to the propagation of microcracks within the heterogeneous internal material structure. In this thesis, a mesoscale model is developed which allows for the explicit simulation of these microcracks. Consequently, the actual physical phenomena causing the complex nonlinear macroscopic behavior of concrete can be represented using rather simple material formulations. On the mesoscale, the numerical model explicitly resolves the components of the internal material structure. For concrete, a three-phase model consisting of aggregates, mortar matrix and interfacial transition zone is proposed. Based on prescribed grading curves, an efficient algorithm for the generation of three-dimensional aggregate distributions using ellipsoids is presented. In the numerical model, tensile failure of the mortar matrix is described using a continuum damage approach. In order to reduce spurious mesh sensitivities, introduced by the softening behavior of the matrix material, nonlocal integral-type material formulations are applied. The propagation of cracks at the interface between aggregates and mortar matrix is represented in a discrete way using a cohesive crack approach. The iterative solution procedure is stabilized using a new path following constraint within the framework of load-displacement-constraint methods which allows for an efficient representation of snap-back phenomena. In several examples, the influence of the randomly generated heterogeneous material structure on the stochastic scatter of the results is analyzed. Furthermore, the ability of mesoscale models to represent size effects is investigated. Mesoscale simulations require the discretization of the internal material structure. Compared to simulations on the macroscale, the numerical effort and the memory demand increases dramatically. Due to the complexity of the numerical model, mesoscale simulations are, in general, limited to small specimens. In this thesis, an adaptive heterogeneous multiscale approach is presented which allows for the incorporation of mesoscale models within nonlinear simulations of concrete structures. In heterogeneous multiscale models, only critical regions, i.e. regions in which damage develops, are resolved on the mesoscale, whereas undamaged or sparsely damage regions are modeled on the macroscale. A crucial point in simulations with heterogeneous multiscale models is the coupling of sub-domains discretized on different length scales. The sub-domains differ not only in the size of the finite elements but also in the constitutive description. In this thesis, different methods for the coupling of non-matching discretizations - constraint equations, the mortar method and the arlequin method - are investigated and the application to heterogeneous multiscale models is presented. Another important point is the detection of critical regions. An adaptive solution procedure allowing the transfer of macroscale sub-domains to the mesoscale is proposed. In this context, several indicators which trigger the model adaptation are introduced. Finally, the application of the proposed adaptive heterogeneous multiscale approach in nonlinear simulations of concrete structures is presented. N2 - Das nichtlineare Materialverhalten von Beton ist durch die Entwicklung von Mikrorissen innerhalb der heterogenen Materialstruktur gekennzeichnet. In dieser Arbeit wird ein Mesoskalenmodell entwickelt, welches die einzelnen Bestandteile der Materialstruktur explizit auflöst und somit die Simulation dieser Mikrorisse erlaubt. Dadurch können die wirklichen physikalischen Vorgänge, welche das komplexe nichtlineare Verhalten von Beton verursachen, durch relativ einfache Materialformulierungen abgebildet werden. Für Beton wird auf der Mesoskala ein 3-Phasenmodell vorgeschlagen, bestehend aus groben Zuschlägen, Mörtelmatrix und Übergangszone zwischen Zuschlag und Matrix. In diesem Zusammenhang wird ein effizienter Algorithmus vorgestellt, welcher ausgehend von einer gegebenen Sieblinie dreidimensionale Kornstrukturen mittels Ellipsoiden simuliert. Im Mesoskalenmodell wird das Zugversagen der Mörtelmatrix durch einen Kontinuumsansatz beschrieben. Um Netzabhängigkeiten, welche durch das Entfestigungsverhalten des Materials hervorgerufen werden, zu reduzieren, kommen nichtlokale Materialformulierungen zum Einsatz. Risse innerhalb der Übergangszone zwischen Zuschlag und Matrix werden, basierend auf einem kohäsiven Modell, mittels eines diskreten Rissansatzes abgebildet. Die Verwendung einer neuen Nebenbedingung innerhalb der Last-Verschiebungs-Zwangsmethode führt zu einer Stabilisierung des iterativen Lösungverfahrens, so dass eine effiziente Simulation von Snap-back Phänomenen möglich wird. Anhand von Beispielen wird gezeigt, dass Mesoskalenmodelle die stochastische Streuung von Ergebnissen und Maßstabseffekte abbilden können. Da auf der Mesoskala die Diskretisierung der inneren Materialstruktur erforderlich ist, steigt im Vergleich zu Simulationen auf der Makroskala der numerische Aufwand erheblich. Aufgrund der Komplexität des numerischen Modells sind Mesoskalensimulationen in der Regel auf kleine Probekörper beschränkt. In dieser Arbeit wird ein adaptiver heterogener Mehrskalenansatz vorgestellt, welcher die Verwendung von Mesoskalenmodellen in nichtlinearen Simulationen von Betonstrukturen erlaubt. In heterogenen Mehrskalenmodellen werden nur kritische Bereiche auf der Mesoskala aufgelöst, während ungeschädigte Bereiche auf der Makroskala abgebildet werden. Ein wichtiger Aspekt in Simulationen mit heterogenen Mehrskalenmodellen ist die Kopplung der auf unterschiedlichen Längenskalen diskretisierten Teilgebiete. Diese unterscheiden sich nicht nur in der Größe der finiten Elemente sondern auch in der Beschreibung des Materials. Verschiedene Methoden zur Kopplung nicht übereinstimmender Vernetzungen - Kopplungsgleichungen, die Mortar-Methode und die Arlequin-Methode - werden untersucht und ihre Anwendung in heterogenen Mehrskalenmodellen wird gezeigt. Ein weiterer wichtiger Aspekt ist die Bestimmung kritischer Regionen. Eine adaptive Lösungsstrategie wird entwickelt, welche die Umwandlung von Makroskalengebieten auf die Mesoskala erlaubt. In diesem Zusammenhang werden Indikatoren vorgestellt, die eine Modellanpassung auslösen. Anhand nichtlinearer Simulationen von Betonstrukturen wird die Anwendung des vorgestellten adaptiven heterogenen Mehrskalenansatzes demonstriert. T2 - Adaptive heterogene Mehrskalenmodelle zur nichtlinearen Simulation von Beton T3 - ISM-Bericht // Institut für Strukturmechanik, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar - 2010,1 KW - Beton KW - Mehrskalenanalyse KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Nichtlineare Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Schadensmechanik KW - Mehrskalenmodell KW - Adaptives Verfahren KW - concrete KW - multiscale method KW - finite element method KW - continuum damage mechanics KW - adaptive simulation Y1 - 2009 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20100317-15023 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Talebi, Hossein A1 - Zi, Goangseup A1 - Silani, Mohammad A1 - Samaniego, Esteban A1 - Rabczuk, Timon T1 - A simple circular cell method for multilevel finite element analysis JF - Journal of Applied Mathematics N2 - A simple multiscale analysis framework for heterogeneous solids based on a computational homogenization technique is presented. The macroscopic strain is linked kinematically to the boundary displacement of a circular or spherical representative volume which contains the microscopic information of the material. The macroscopic stress is obtained from the energy principle between the macroscopic scale and the microscopic scale. This new method is applied to several standard examples to show its accuracy and consistency of the method proposed. KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Feststoff Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20170426-31639 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Banihani, Suleiman A1 - Rabczuk, Timon A1 - Almomani, Thakir T1 - POD for real-time simulation of hyperelastic soft biological tissue using the point collocation method of finite spheres JF - Mathematical Problems in Engineering N2 - The point collocation method of finite spheres (PCMFS) is used to model the hyperelastic response of soft biological tissue in real time within the framework of virtual surgery simulation. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) model order reduction (MOR) technique was used to achieve reduced-order model of the problem, minimizing computational cost. The PCMFS is a physics-based meshfree numerical technique for real-time simulation of surgical procedures where the approximation functions are applied directly on the strong form of the boundary value problem without the need for integration, increasing computational efficiency. Since computational speed has a significant role in simulation of surgical procedures, the proposed technique was able to model realistic nonlinear behavior of organs in real time. Numerical results are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new methodology through a comparison between full and reduced analyses for several nonlinear problems. It is shown that the proposed technique was able to achieve good agreement with the full model; moreover, the computational and data storage costs were significantly reduced. KW - Chirurgie KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode Y1 - 2013 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20170413-31203 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vu-Bac, N. A1 - Nguyen-Xuan, Hung A1 - Chen, Lei A1 - Lee, C.K. A1 - Zi, Goangseup A1 - Zhuang, Xiaoying A1 - Liu, G.R. A1 - Rabczuk, Timon T1 - A phantom-node method with edge-based strain smoothing for linear elastic fracture mechanics JF - Journal of Applied Mathematics N2 - This paper presents a novel numerical procedure based on the combination of an edge-based smoothed finite element (ES-FEM) with a phantom-node method for 2D linear elastic fracture mechanics. In the standard phantom-node method, the cracks are formulated by adding phantom nodes, and the cracked element is replaced by two new superimposed elements. This approach is quite simple to implement into existing explicit finite element programs. The shape functions associated with discontinuous elements are similar to those of the standard finite elements, which leads to certain simplification with implementing in the existing codes. The phantom-node method allows modeling discontinuities at an arbitrary location in the mesh. The ES-FEM model owns a close-to-exact stiffness that is much softer than lower-order finite element methods (FEM). Taking advantage of both the ES-FEM and the phantom-node method, we introduce an edge-based strain smoothing technique for the phantom-node method. Numerical results show that the proposed method achieves high accuracy compared with the extended finite element method (XFEM) and other reference solutions. KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Steifigkeit KW - Bruchmechanik KW - Riss Y1 - 2013 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20170426-31676 ER - TY - THES A1 - Habtemariam, Abinet Kifle T1 - Numerical Demolition Analysis of a Slender Guyed Antenna Mast N2 - The main purpose of the thesis is to ensure the safe demolition of old guyed antenna masts that are located in different parts of Germany. The major problem in demolition of this masts is the falling down of the masts in unexpected direction because of buckling problem. The objective of this thesis is development of a numerical models using finite element method (FEM) and assuring a controlled collapse by coming up with different time setups for the detonation of explosives which are responsible for cutting down the cables. The result of this thesis will avoid unexpected outcomes during the demolition processes and prevent risk of collapsing of the mast over near by structures. KW - Abbruch KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Optimierung KW - Demolition KW - Guyed antenna masts KW - Explicit finite element method KW - Optimization Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20210723-44609 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mortazavi, Bohayra A1 - Pereira, Luiz Felipe C. A1 - Jiang, Jin-Wu A1 - Rabczuk, Timon T1 - Modelling heat conduction in polycrystalline hexagonal boron-nitride films JF - Scientific Reports N2 - We conducted extensive molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the thermal conductivity of polycrystalline hexagonal boron-nitride (h-BN) films. To this aim, we constructed large atomistic models of polycrystalline h-BN sheets with random and uniform grain configuration. By performing equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations, we investigated the influence of the average grain size on the thermal conductivity of polycrystalline h-BN films at various temperatures. Using the EMD results, we constructed finite element models of polycrystalline h-BN sheets to probe the thermal conductivity of samples with larger grain sizes. Our multiscale investigations not only provide a general viewpoint regarding the heat conduction in h-BN films but also propose that polycrystalline h-BN sheets present high thermal conductivity comparable to monocrystalline sheets. KW - Wärmeleitfähigkeit KW - Bornitrid KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20170425-31534 ER - TY - THES A1 - Jia, Yue T1 - Methods based on B-splines for model representation, numerical analysis and image registration N2 - The thesis consists of inter-connected parts for modeling and analysis using newly developed isogeometric methods. The main parts are reproducing kernel triangular B-splines, extended isogeometric analysis for solving weakly discontinuous problems, collocation methods using superconvergent points, and B-spline basis in image registration applications. Each topic is oriented towards application of isogeometric analysis basis functions to ease the process of integrating the modeling and analysis phases of simulation. First, we develop reproducing a kernel triangular B-spline-based FEM for solving PDEs. We review the triangular B-splines and their properties. By definition, the triangular basis function is very flexible in modeling complicated domains. However, instability results when it is applied for analysis. We modify the triangular B-spline by a reproducing kernel technique, calculating a correction term for the triangular kernel function from the chosen surrounding basis. The improved triangular basis is capable to obtain the results with higher accuracy and almost optimal convergence rates. Second, we propose an extended isogeometric analysis for dealing with weakly discontinuous problems such as material interfaces. The original IGA is combined with XFEM-like enrichments which are continuous functions themselves but with discontinuous derivatives. Consequently, the resulting solution space can approximate solutions with weak discontinuities. The method is also applied to curved material interfaces, where the inverse mapping and the curved triangular elements are considered. Third, we develop an IGA collocation method using superconvergent points. The collocation methods are efficient because no numerical integration is needed. In particular when higher polynomial basis applied, the method has a lower computational cost than Galerkin methods. However, the positions of the collocation points are crucial for the accuracy of the method, as they affect the convergent rate significantly. The proposed IGA collocation method uses superconvergent points instead of the traditional Greville abscissae points. The numerical results show the proposed method can have better accuracy and optimal convergence rates, while the traditional IGA collocation has optimal convergence only for even polynomial degrees. Lastly, we propose a novel dynamic multilevel technique for handling image registration. It is application of the B-spline functions in image processing. The procedure considered aims to align a target image from a reference image by a spatial transformation. The method starts with an energy function which is the same as a FEM-based image registration. However, we simplify the solving procedure, working on the energy function directly. We dynamically solve for control points which are coefficients of B-spline basis functions. The new approach is more simple and fast. Moreover, it is also enhanced by a multilevel technique in order to prevent instabilities. The numerical testing consists of two artificial images, four real bio-medical MRI brain and CT heart images, and they show our registration method is accurate, fast and efficient, especially for large deformation problems. KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - isogeometric methods Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20151210-24849 ER - TY - THES A1 - Nanthakumar, S.S. T1 - Inverse and optimization problems in piezoelectric materials using Extended Finite Element Method and Level sets T1 - Inverse und Optimierungsprobleme für piezoelektrische Materialien mit der Extended Finite Elemente Methode und Level sets N2 - Piezoelectric materials are used in several applications as sensors and actuators where they experience high stress and electric field concentrations as a result of which they may fail due to fracture. Though there are many analytical and experimental works on piezoelectric fracture mechanics. There are very few studies about damage detection, which is an interesting way to prevent the failure of these ceramics. An iterative method to treat the inverse problem of detecting cracks and voids in piezoelectric structures is proposed. Extended finite element method (XFEM) is employed for solving the inverse problem as it allows the use of a single regular mesh for large number of iterations with different flaw geometries. Firstly, minimization of cost function is performed by Multilevel Coordinate Search (MCS) method. The XFEM-MCS methodology is applied to two dimensional electromechanical problems where flaws considered are straight cracks and elliptical voids. Then a numerical method based on combination of classical shape derivative and level set method for front propagation used in structural optimization is utilized to minimize the cost function. The results obtained show that the XFEM-level set methodology is effectively able to determine the number of voids in a piezoelectric structure and its corresponding locations. The XFEM-level set methodology is improved to solve the inverse problem of detecting inclusion interfaces in a piezoelectric structure. The material interfaces are implicitly represented by level sets which are identified by applying regularisation using total variation penalty terms. The formulation is presented for three dimensional structures and inclusions made of different materials are detected by using multiple level sets. The results obtained prove that the iterative procedure proposed can determine the location and approximate shape of material subdomains in the presence of higher noise levels. Piezoelectric nanostructures exhibit size dependent properties because of surface elasticity and surface piezoelectricity. Initially a study to understand the influence of surface elasticity on optimization of nano elastic beams is performed. The boundary of the nano structure is implicitly represented by a level set function, which is considered as the design variable in the optimization process. Two objective functions, minimizing the total potential energy of a nanostructure subjected to a material volume constraint and minimizing the least square error compared to a target displacement, are chosen for the numerical examples. The numerical examples demonstrate the importance of size and aspect ratio in determining how surface effects impact the optimized topology of nanobeams. Finally a conventional cantilever energy harvester with a piezoelectric nano layer is analysed. The presence of surface piezoelectricity in nano beams and nano plates leads to increase in electromechanical coupling coefficient. Topology optimization of these piezoelectric structures in an energy harvesting device to further increase energy conversion using appropriately modified XFEM-level set algorithm is performed . KW - Finite-Elemente-Methode KW - Piezoelectricity KW - Inverse problems KW - Optimization problems KW - Nanostructures KW - XFEM KW - level set method KW - Surface effects Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20161128-27095 ER -