Optimization of Phononic Crystals for the Simultaneous Attenuation of Out-of-Plane and In-Plane Waves

Abstract

The topological distribution of the material phases inside the unit cell composing a phononic crystal has a significant effect on its dispersion characteristics. This topology can be engineered to produce application-specific requirements. In this paper, a specialized genetic-algorithm-based topology optimization methodology for the design of two-dimensional phononic crystals is presented. Specifically the target is the opening and maximization of band gap size for (i) out-of-plane waves, (ii) in-plane waves and (iii) both out-of-plane and in-plane waves simultaneously. The methodology as well as the resulting designs are presented.