Energy Absorption Performance of Open-Cell Aluminum Foam and Its Application in Landing Buffer System

Abstract

The outstanding mechanical properties and lightness of aluminum foam make it attractive as buffering and energy absorption material for spacecraft landing in deep space exploration. In this paper, cell-based model of open-cell aluminum foam has been established by Voronoi tessellation method. Through quantitative comparisons of energy absorption performance between different simulation models, it can be found that the improvement of base material properties can lead to significant enhancement of energy absorption ability, and there is an approximate linear relationship between relative density and relative energy absorption at low speeds. Characteristic deformation mode has been discussed under different compression speeds. The isotropic buffering characteristic of aluminum foam materials has been verified by the simulation of a footpad filled with aluminum foam impacting on a sloping ground.