Abstract
Due to the unstable structural characteristics of square cell elements, square honeycombs undergo slip deformation to the sides when the honeycomb is impacted at middle and low velocities, and consequently, the energy absorption capacities are low. To improve the energy absorption and modify the dynamic crushing behavior of the square honeycomb, a novel square honeycomb was proposed in which rods are added to the interior of the square cell elements. Subsequently, two graded gradient honeycombs and a “buffer” honeycomb were established based on the novel square unit cell, and their energy absorption properties were investigated. Through numerical simulations of the in-plane impact, it was demonstrated that one of the gradient square honeycombs exhibited the best specific energy absorption (34.92% higher than that of the square honeycomb) under low-velocity crushing, and the buffered square honeycomb showed the best crushing force efficiency (218.68% larger than that of the square honeycomb) for a mid-velocity collision. Furthermore, the slip degree of the honeycomb deformation mode was strongly inhibited for one of the novel square honeycombs, which exhibited the zero Poisson ratio effect. In addition, the effects of various factors, such as the geometric configuration and impact velocity, on the energy absorption performance were explored. This study offers novel ideas for improving the abilities of traditional honeycomb structures.
Highlights
Lightweight honeycomb materials have high strengths, excellent crashworthiness, and extraordinary energy absorption properties
To explore the crashworthiness of the novel gradient and square honeycombs, a systematic study was performed to demonstrate the influence of several factors, such as the geometric configuration and the impact velocity, on the deformation modes and energy absorption of the honeycombs under dynamic crushing
Experiments were numerically simulated to examine the differences between the novel gradient square honeycombs and the traditional square honeycomb by using the nonlinear finite element software ABAQUS/Explicit
Summary
Lightweight honeycomb materials have high strengths, excellent crashworthiness, and extraordinary energy absorption properties. Altering the geometric attribute in each layer (cell-wall thickness and relative density29) is a universal method to design graded honeycombs With this design concept, Xiao et al. performed systematic investigations and demonstrated that in-plane crashworthiness and energy dissipation were enhanced tremendously for reentrant hexagonal honeycombs. In addition to varying the geometric attributes of the cell, changing the cellular category in each layer is another method to achieve graded capacities With this popular concept, Li et al. experimentally examined the in-plane crushing behaviors of a functionally linear honeycomb and showed that the linear honeycomb provided better energy absorption compared to regular hexagonal honeycombs. In the above discussion, changing the topological structure and the gradient design are two effective methods to enhance the energy absorption capacities of honeycombs and refine the properties of conventional honeycombs. The novel design concept provides a reference for the design of lightweight energy absorbers with enhancing crushing protection capacities under dynamic crushing
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