A reusable metastructure for tri-directional energy dissipation

Utilizing elastic metamaterials for energy dissipation is a promising research hotspot since it is reusable compared with the plastic material. An innovative, reusable and self-recoverable metastructure (RSRMS) with tetrahedral motif unit cells (TMUCs) for tri-directional energy dissipation is presented in this paper. TMUC, fabricated via 3D printing, mainly composes of a skeleton, six double curved beams, four near-rigid columns, and four caps. The force-displacement relationship of the midpoint of double curved beams is deduced and its criterion for self-recoverability and reusability is investigated. The mechanical model of the proposed RSRMS is established and corresponding snap-through behavior is investigated. The effects of geometric parameters of RSRMS on energy dissipation are systematically studied through numerical simulations, finite element analysis and experimental investigations. The results demonstrate that RSRMS is able to dissipate energy effectively via snap-through induced hysteretic force-displacement behavior and elastic deformation. The efficiency of energy dissipation relies on the number of TMUCs connected in series and the apex height-to-thickness ratio of the double curved beams. Mechanical properties of RSRMS and TMUC are sensitive to the rigidity of supporting skeleton. The proposed RSRMS has potential applications requiring repetitive energy dissipation.

Automated summary

This paper presents an innovative, reusable, and self-recoverable metastructure (RSRMS) with tetrahedral motif unit cells (TMUCs) for tri-directional energy dissipation. Through numerical simulations, finite element analysis, and experimental investigations, it is found that RSRMS can effectively dissipate energy through snap-through induced hysteretic force-displacement behavior and elastic deformation, providing potential advantages in applications requiring repetitive energy dissipation.