ERI: Understanding the Thermomechanical Response of Sandwich Structures with Triply Periodic Minimal Surface

该奖项全部或部分由2021年美国救援计划法案（公法117-2）资助。夹层结构通常具有高强度和刚度。它们被用于无数的应用，包括飞机，军事，隔热，隔振和汽车工业。然而，核心拓扑结构成为实现高性能夹层结构的限制因素。芯几何形状的各个方面可以增强夹层结构的机械和热性能。然而，这种结构夹层的热和机械性能增强的潜在机制仍然未知。该项目旨在揭示由于内部核心结构的调制而导致的热机械性能增强的机制。该方法集成了数值和实验的方法来说明内部的核心拓扑结构和性能关系。具有广泛应用前景的结构夹层的性能增强将有利于国民经济的发展。这项研究涉及多个学科，包括工程力学，材料科学和增材制造。该项目将支持研究生和本科生，并鼓励代表性不足的少数民族参与科学和工程。该项目的外展部分将向高中生和中学生展示研究概念。该项目的目标是从根本上了解结构化芯格结构如何改善夹层结构的机械和热性能。本计画将广泛研究各种基于三周期最小表面（TPMS）的核心晶格，即螺旋形、菱形及原始核心结构。研究小组将执行两项任务：（i）开发基于三维有限元方法的数值模拟，以预测各种堆芯拓扑结构的热机械性能。这些研究将确定高应力/关键部分，以优化参数，包括单元格尺寸和壁厚，以实现不同TPMS芯结构的上级性能;以及（ii）通过实验确定TPMS芯夹层结构在不同温度下因多模式机械载荷而产生的变形机制。此外，详细的表面形态和故障机制将通过高分辨率扫描电子显微镜进行研究。该项目将有助于获得对夹层结构中热力学行为-拓扑关系的新理解，特别强调各种TPMS核心晶格架构。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Sandwich structures are generally constructed to offer high strength and stiffness. They are used in myriads of applications including airplane, military, thermal insulation, vibration isolation, and automotive industry. However, the core topology becomes a limiting factor for achieving high-performance sandwich structures. Various aspects of core geometry can enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of the sandwich structures. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of such thermal and mechanical property enhancements in structural sandwiches remains unknown. This project seeks to unveil the mechanisms of thermomechanical property enhancement due to the modulation of the interior core architecture. The approach integrates numerical and experimental methods to illustrate the interior core topology and property relationships. Property enhancement of structural sandwiches that are used in a wide range of applications will benefit the national economy. This research involves multiple disciplines including engineering mechanics, materials science, and additive manufacturing. The project will support graduate and undergraduate students and encourage the participation of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering. The outreach component of the project will demonstrate research concepts to high school and middle school students.The objective of this project is to fundamentally understand how structured core lattice architecture improves the mechanical and thermal properties of sandwich structures. Various triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) based core lattice, namely, gyroid, diamond, and primitive core structures will be extensively studied in this project. The research team will perform two tasks: (i) developing three-dimensional finite element method based numerical simulations to predict thermomechanical properties for various core topologies. The studies will identify high stress/ critical sections to optimize parameters including unit cell size and wall thickness for superior performance of different TPMS core structures; and (ii) to experimentally determine the deformation mechanism of TPMS core-based sandwich structures due to multi-mode mechanical loadings at various temperatures. In addition, detailed surface morphology and failure mechanisms will be studied through high resolution scanning electron microscopy. This project will help gain new understandings of thermomechanical behavior-topology relationship in sandwich structures with particular emphasis on various TPMS core lattice architecture.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.