Design sensitivity analysis for parameters affecting geometry, elastic–viscoplastic material constant and boundary condition by consistent tangent operator-based boundary element method

This paper presents a design sensitivity analysis method by the consistent tangent operator concept-based boundary element implicit algorithm. The design variables for sensitivity analysis include geometry parameters, elastic–viscoplastic material parameters and boundary condition parameters. Based on small strain theory, Perzyna’s elastic–viscoplastic material constitutive relation with a mixed hardening model and two flow functions is considered in the sensitivity analysis. The related elastic–viscoplastic radial return algorithm and the formula of elastic–viscoplastic consistent tangent operator are derived and discussed. Based on the direct differentiation approach, the incremental boundary integral equations and related algorithms for both geometric and elastic–viscoplastic sensitivity analysis are developed. A 2D boundary element program for geometry sensitivity, elastic–viscoplastic material constant sensitivity and boundary condition sensitivity has been developed. Comparison and discussion with the results of this paper, analytical solution and finite element code ANSYS for four plane strain numerical examples are presented finally.