Abstract
A method for shape optimization using Bezier triangles is introduced. The proposed procedure takes as input a CAD-compatible boundary representation of the domain and outputs an optimal design while maintaining an exact geometry representation at each iteration. The use of a triangular discretization allows the modeling of complex geometric domains, including voids, using a single patch. Some topology changes, such as those resulting from merging boundaries, can also be easily considered. An automatic mesh generator based on a quadtree construction is used to create the mesh. A gradient-based optimization algorithm (the method of moving asymptotes) is employed together with a sensitivity propagation procedure. We apply the method to some standard benchmark problems commonly considered in the literature and show that the proposed method converges to an optimal shape in only a few iterations.