MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF MICRO-LATTICE STRUCTURE OF BCC ARCHITECTURE IN SANDWICH CONSTRUCTION UNDER UNI-AXIAL COMPRESSIVE LOADING CONDITIONS

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Due to high energy absorption and fire resistant characteristics, the researchers have focused on micro-lattice structures. This research paper focused on applications of micro-lattice structures in the foreign object impact conditions and has high potential in the future of any structural applications, mainly aircraft structural applications. The micro-lattice structures are of body centered cubic (BCC) architectures and for modeling, the structures with four different unit cell edge lengths are considered. The models for Finite element analysis have been developed to ascertain the response of micro-lattice structures and FEA was carried with 1-D beam and 3-D solid element models. The empirical equations are used in analysis to predict the structures elasticity modulus and the plastic collapse strength. The results using FEA and empirical equations are compared with the observational data. The plastic collapse strength and elastic modulus of the structure is compared based on the relative density. The relevance range of the 1-D beam and 3-D solid elements is compared and observed that the 3-D solid element is offering good agreement with observational information. Design is modified without compromising structure mass for enhancing the structural strength and the enhanced BCC lattice structure shows that the strength and stiffness of considerable improvement than BCC lattice structure.
Key words: Micro-lattice structures, BCC, Finite Element Analysis, Design and Modeling, Empirical Equations.