2-D Topology Optimization of the Breech Flat-Plate Bus Bar of the Electromagnetic Railgun

The optimization of the breech bus bar has an important influence on the lightweight research of the electromagnetic railgun. A topology optimization model considering volume constraints is established for the breech flat-plate bus bar. The bus bar is fed through sixteen coaxial cables. The optimal structure of the bus bar is calculated and given under the requirement of 50% volume constraint. In addition, the influence of four control parameters is also analyzed. These four parameters are respectively the prescribed volume fraction, the positioning dimension of cable arrangement, the filter radius, and the penalization power. For the first parameter, the optimal structures of the bus bar are given and compared when it is respectively 0.4, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8. For the second parameter, the results show that the larger the positioning dimension, the smaller the size of all parts of the bus bar. For the third parameter, it is suggested to use the surrounding two-layer elements of each element to conduct sensitivity filtering. For the fourth parameter, it is reasonable to choose 3.0 as the penalization power value. It is meaningful for the structural design of the bus bar in the initial design stage.