SBIR Phase II: MetaMaterial for Seismic Energy Absorption

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业机会源于我们实现抗震保护方式的范式转变。机械超材料的使用为提高建筑物和基础设施目前的抗震保护水平提供了新的机会，最终可以提高社区的抗灾能力并拯救生命。机械超材料是专门设计的具有前所未有的特性的材料。从传统的基于系统的设计发展到基于材料的设计，有可能创造出比大多数现有技术更可定制、更容易安装的抗震解决方案。这项技术可以取代目前的地震保护系统，传统上旨在挽救建筑物居住者的生命，但可能无法解决其中的重要设备。 提高地震保护水平，对于地震后需要连续运营的商业活动和服务具有直接价值。这项创新的广泛应用有可能提高地震多发地区社区的抗灾能力，减少与地震有关的直接和间接损失。这项小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在提高我们关键基础设施的抗灾能力，特别是信息技术（IT）设施。这些项目将通过使用创新的混合增材制造（AM）工艺制造的新型机械超材料，在振动敏感电子设备的抗震保护方面取得革命性进展。结合多个AM工艺来制造这种超材料的多组分内部结构的可行性将被证明。特别是，AM工艺在高度复杂的结构中结合硬材料和软材料的有效性将得到解决，目的是提高机械超材料的设计空间。将通过制定一个具体的抗震恢复框架来研究这种扩大的设计空间对IT设施抗震恢复能力的影响。该框架将用于分析和比较数据中心与传统系统和高度可定制的超材料的抗震能力，因为产生于制造过程。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial opportunity of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project stems from creating a paradigmatic shift in the way we achieve seismic protection. The use of mechanical metamaterials fosters new opportunities to increase current levels of seismic protection of buildings and infrastructure, which could ultimately increase the resilience of communities and save lives. Mechanical metamaterials are materials specifically designed to have unprecedented properties. Evolving from a traditional system-based design to a material-based design has the potential of creating seismic solutions that are more customizable and easier to install than most of the current technologies. This technology could replace current seismic protection systems that are traditionally aimed at saving building occupants' lives, but may not address the important equipment therein. An enhanced level of seismic protection constitutes an immediate value for commercial activities and services requiring continuity of operations after earthquakes. The extensive application of the innovation has the potential of increasing the resiliency of communities in seismic prone areas and reduce seismic related direct and indirect losses.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project addresses the need for increasing the seismic resilience of our critical infrastructure, and in particular Information Technology (IT) facilities. The projects will result in a revolutionary advance in the seismic protection of vibration sensitive electronic equipment through the use of novel mechanical metamaterials made with an innovative hybrid additive manufacturing (AM) process. The feasibility of combining multiple AM processes to manufacture the multi-component internal architecture of such metamaterials will be demonstrated. In particular, the effectiveness of AM processes in combining hard and soft materials in a highly-complex architecture will be addressed, with the aim of enhancing the design space of the mechanical metamaterial. The effects of this enlarged designed space on the seismic resilience of IT facilities will be investigated by developing a specific seismic resilience framework. The framework will be used to analyze and compare the seismic resilience of data centers with traditional systems and highly customizable metamaterials, as resulting from the manufacturing process.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.