Simulation of cellular structures under large deformations using the material point method

Abstract

Cellular materials and structures have been shown to be highly effective in the context of energy absorption systems. However, accurate simulation of the response of these materials and structures is rather complex. As a simulation tool, the material point method (MPM) simplifies the creation of intricate geometries. At the same time, being a particle-based approach, it is also well-suited for problems involving large deformations and contact. These features make MPM attractive for the simulation of cellular structures under large deformations. This study evaluates the performance of MPM for such simulations. An in-house computer code is developed for this purpose. Experimental data in the literature is used, from which geometric and material properties of cellular systems (in the form of stacked tubes) are extracted and used to validate the numerical model. The performance of the numeric models is evaluated using experimental measurements of the force-deformation curve and energy-absorption capacity. Validation involves a comprehensive evaluation of different simulation parameters, namely; model refinement, rate of loading and boundary conditions. Results indicate that MPM is capable of predicting the large deformation response and energy absorption properties of cellular structures.