Multi-Scale Architected Material Structural Optimization for Lightweight Structures and Elasto-Static Cloaking: From Design to Additive Manufacturing
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Vasconcelos Da Senhora, Fernando
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Abstract
The ever-growing demand for high-performance structures and materials has pushed traditional design to its limits. The challenges that humanity will face in the coming centuries in space exploration, biomedicine, and resilient infrastructure require the development of new structures and materials that surpass our current engineering capabilities. We propose a multi-scale, multi-material structural optimization framework featuring locally-varying architected material properties, offering a promising avenue to address the structural challenges of the future. This research brings structural optimization and architected materials closer to real-life engineering applications by addressing theoretical, computational, and manufacturing challenges in the field. We developed architected material models with versatile and enhanced mechanical properties while studying the effect of disorder on their microstructure. Concurrently, we expanded structural optimization techniques to accommodate a diverse set of locally-varying architected materials and design requirements during the optimization for applications such as extremely light structures with high strength-to-weight ratios and elasto-static cloaking. To improve computational efficiency, we incorporated a machine learning-enhanced framework that achieves optimized structures at a fraction of the cost of traditional techniques. Simultaneously, we advanced manufacturing capabilities to ensure the feasibility of the multi-scale micro-architecture embedded structures by integrating digital light processing additive manufacturing techniques within the architected material setting to fabricate the optimized results. Finally, the manufactured parts undergo mechanical testing with 3D Digital Image Correlation to evaluate the developed designs. The proposed engineering framework takes into account all stages of production, from design to manufacturing. The development of lightweight, high-strength materials and structures with tailored properties can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, performance, and sustainability in various applications, with the potential to impact a wide range of industries, from aerospace to biomedical.
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2024-07-22
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Dissertation