Microlattice damping material and method for repeatable energy absorption
AssigneeHRL Laboratories, LLC
InventorsTobias A. Schaedler, Alan J. Jacobsen, William Carter, Christopher P. Henry, Chia-Ming -"Gavin" Chang, Geoffrey P. McKnight, Andrew P. Nowak
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Abstract
Described is a micro-lattice damping material and a method for repeatable energy absorption. The micro-lattice damping material is a cellular material formed of a three-dimensional interconnected network of hollow tubes. This material is operable to provide high damping, specifically acoustic, vibration or shock damping, by utilizing the energy absorption mechanism of hollow tube buckling, which is rendered repeatable by the micro-lattice architecture.
Claims16
A damping material, comprising:
- a micro-lattice formed of a three-dimensional interconnected network of hollow tubes;
- and
- wherein the hollow tubes are formed of a material and have a wall thickness and a diameter, such that a wall thickness to diameter ratio is less than εy, where εy denotes a yield strain material property of the material forming the hollow tubes.
A method for damping through repeatable energy absorption, comprising acts of:
- receiving a load in a micro-lattice having a network of interconnected hollow tubes, the load causing elastic buckling of the hollow tubes and/or nodes where the tube intersect;
- and
- removing the load, resulting in the micro-lattice decompressing, whereby upon removing the load, the micro-lattice recovers its original shape.
The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the hollow tubes have a diameter between 10 μm and 10 cm and a wall thickness to diameter ratio smaller than 3 εy, where εy denotes the yield strain of the material comprising the tube walls.
A constrained layer damper, comprising:
- a micro-lattice formed of a three-dimensional interconnected network of hollow tubes, the micro-lattice attached with an object to be dampened;
- and
- a constraining layer attached with the micro-lattice such that the micro-lattice is sandwiched between the object to be dampened and the constraining layer.
An amplitude selective damping material, comprising:
- a micro-lattice that requires a threshold stress to trigger buckling and concomitant energy absorption.
An anisotropic damping material, comprising:
- a micro-lattice formed to provide anisotropic damping properties.
A damping material, comprising:
- a micro-lattice formed of a three-dimensional interconnected network of hollow tubes;
- two layers of material, with the micro-lattice being partially compressed between the two layers such that the micro-lattice is pre-loaded with strain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.