This paper investigates the effect of the outer adherend geometry on the strength of an adhesively bonded joint. The investigation was carried out by optimizing the joint geometry using two different numerical optimization methods. In genetic algorithm (GA) optimization with high fidelity explicit finite element analysis (FEA) and topology optimization (TOP). Both procedures were utilized on a simplified pseudo-2D model as well as a full-scale 3D model. The results showed that the outer adherend geometry directly affects the strength of a joint subjected to tensile load. For joints subjected to bending load, the geometry had little to no effect on the strength of the joint. The GA optimization process produced identical geometry for both 2D and 3D models. However, the TOP process produced different optimum geometries. The optimum joints produced by the TOP process offered the highest strength overall, while the optimum GA joint produced the best strength to weight ratio. The reasons for these results and other features of the optimized designs, including interface stress, failure mechanisms and computational efficiency are discussed in detail.

本文研究了外部被粘物几何形状对粘合接头强度的影响。通过使用两种不同的数值优化方法优化接头几何形状来进行研究。在具有高保真度的遗传算法（GA）优化中，显式有限元分析（FEA）和拓扑优化（TOP）。这两种程序都用于简化的伪2D模型以及全尺寸3D模型。结果表明，外部被粘物的几何形状直接影响承受拉伸载荷的接头的强度。对于承受弯曲载荷的接头，其几何形状对接头的强度几乎没有影响。GA优化过程为2D和3D模型产生了相同的几何形状。但是，TOP过程产生了不同的最佳几何形状。通过TOP工艺生产的最佳接头可提供最高的整体强度，而最佳GA接头可产生最佳的强度与重量比。详细讨论了这些结果的原因以及优化设计的其他特征，包括界面应力，破坏机制和计算效率。