Enhancing energy absorption through sequential instabilities in mechanical metamaterials
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Bekele, A
Wadee, MA
Phillips, ATM
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Structural components designed to absorb energy and shield a more valuable structure ideally require mechanical properties that combine a relatively high load-carrying capacity followed by a practically zero stiffness. This ensures that a specified energy quantity may be absorbed within a limited displacement and that any stress transfer to the valuable structure is minimized. Material damage has been historically mobilized to provide such properties but this obviously renders such components to be single-use. In contrast, mobilization of elastic instability can also provide the desired combination of properties but without necessarily damaging the material. This reveals an intriguing possibility of such components being potentially repairable and theoretically reusable with no significant loss in performance. A series of analytical, finite element and experimental studies are presented for a bespoke mechanical metamaterial arrangement that is designed to buckle sequentially and behave with the desired ‘high strength–low stiffness’ characteristic. It is found that the various axial and rotational stiffnesses associated with the geometric arrangement and its constituent connections may be tuned to provide the desired mechanical behaviour within the elastic range and delay the onset of significant damage thereby rendering the concept of harnessing instability to be feasible.
Date Issued
2023-08
Date Acceptance
2023-08-07
Citation
Royal Society Open Science, 2023, 10 (8), pp.1-19
ISSN
2054-5703
Publisher
The Royal Society
Start Page
1
End Page
19
Journal / Book Title
Royal Society Open Science
Volume
10
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Authors.
Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.
Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Identifier
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230762
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
230762
Date Publish Online
2023-08-30