Hierarchical Deformation Mechanisms and Energy Absorption in Bioinspired Thin-Walled Structures

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Xiaodi Feng - , Harbin Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Siqi Ma - , Harbin Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Shuai Fu - , Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Chair of Molecular Functional Materials (cfaed) (Author)
  • Jiacheng Wei - , Harbin Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Junyan Liu - , Harbin Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Fei Yang - , Harbin Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Honghao Yue - , Harbin Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Yifan Lu - , Harbin Institute of Technology (Author)

Abstract

Lightweight, hierarchical thin-walled tubes are essential in aerospace and transportation for their exceptional impact resistance and energy absorption capabilities. This study applies bionic design principles to revolutionize traditional thin-walled tube structures, enhancing their energy absorption performance. Inspired by natural models—spider webs, beetle elytra, cuttlebone, and spiral wood fibers—integrated bionic hierarchical thin-walled tubes (IBHTTs) with diverse bionic structural and material combinations are developed using additive manufacturing. Mechanical tests and simulations demonstrated distinct deformation behaviors and significant performance enhancements. An IBHTT incorporating spider web, beetle elytra, and cuttlebone-inspired designs achieved a 129.7% increase in absorbed energy (EA) and a 21.8% improvement in specific energy absorption(SEA) compared to conventional tubes. Introducing spiral wood fiber-inspired features further improved toughness under compression and impact, with helical formations enabling mutual squeezing and self-twisting, resulting in a 397.5% increase in absorbed energy and a 67.0% boost in specific energy absorption. Furthermore, IBHTTs with adjustable helical angles exhibited distinct mechanical and energy absorption characteristics, enabling tailored compressive responses through custom spiral configurations. These findings lay the groundwork for designing advanced thin-walled tubes to meet diverse application demands, pushing the boundaries of bionic engineering.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number2411205
JournalSmall
Volume21
Issue number15
Publication statusPublished - 16 Apr 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 40026073

Keywords

Keywords

  • additive manufacturing, energy absorption, hierarchical thin-walled structure, integral bionic design, tunable mechanical properties