Integrated Design in Load Carrying and Energy Absorption of Composite Tube

In this study, a type of tube with an open-hole AL alloy tube nested outside the CFRP tube is designed and fabricated, and the energy absorbing characteristics and failure mechanism under quasi-static axial compression are discussed. It is found that the summing tube composed of two single tubes has less energy absorption than the hybrid tube. Numerical simulation and theoretical models are used to evaluate the influence of the hybrid tube in terms of cost and weight, and it is found that under the same energy absorption, the hybrid tube has a weight reduction of 39.2% compared to the open-hole AL tube, which was 25.7% of the cost of the CFRP tube. This hybrid structure has potential as the load-carrying and energy absorption tube.

Study on synergistic system of energy-absorbing yielding anti-impact supporting structure and surrounding rock

Through the improvement of supporting structure and the utilization of the interaction between surrounding rock and supporting structure, the synergistic system of energy-absorbing yielding anti-impact supporting structure and surrounding rock is established. The process of energy absorption device, energy-absorbing yielding anti-impact supporting structure and synergistic system under impact is simulated to analyze the properties of them. The following conclusions could be drawn. The deformation and yielding process under compression of energy absorption device is divided into five stages. Compared with the traditional supporting structure, the energy-absorbing yielding anti-impact supporting structure has the reaction force with lower value and smaller fluctuation range before the deformation of the energy absorption device reaches the third ascending section. The synergy between surrounding rock and supporting structure plays an important role in roadway support. Compared with the supporting structure without surrounding rock, the reaction force of the supporting structure in the synergistic system is lower, and a stationary stage is added in the early stage of the reaction force curve.

Improving the torsional response of asymmetric buildings with self-centering controlled rocking steel braced frame system

Self-centering controlled rocking steel braced-frame (SC-CR-SBF) is proposed as an earthquake-resistant system with low damage. Pre-stressed vertical strands provide a self-centering mechanism in the system and energy absorbing fuses restrict maximum displacement. Presence of asymmetry in structures can highlight the advantages of employing this structural system. Moreover, these days designing and constructing asymmetric and irregular structures is inevitable and as a result of architectural attractiveness and requirements of different functions of buildings, they are of great importance. Consequently, in these types of structures in order to minimize seismic responses, particular measures should be taken into consideration. Proper distribution of strength and stiffness throughout the plan of structures with self-centering systems can play a considerable role in resolving problems associated with asymmetry in these structures. In this study, the asymmetric buildings with 10% and 20% mass eccentricities and having different arrangements of centers were simulated. The models were analyzed under a set of 22 bidirectional far-field ground-motion records and corresponding responses of maximum roof drift, acceleration and rotation of the roof diaphragms of the structures with different arrangements of the center of mass, stiffness and strength were computed and studied. Results show that proper distribution of stiffness and strength throughout the plan of the structures with SC-CR-SBF system reduces the maximum roof drift as well as the rotation of the roof diaphragm. With appropriate arrangement of the centers, maximum drift response of the asymmetric structure decreases as much as roughly 20% and the ratio of the maximum drift response of the asymmetric structure to the response of the similar symmetric structure with the same overall stiffness and strength was 1.1. In other words, maximum drift response of the asymmetric structure with SC-CR-SBF system is acceptably close to the one for the symmetric building.

Warm sheet metal forming of energy-absorbing elements made 7075 aluminum alloy in the hardened state T6

The article covers experimental research on the forming of products made of 7075 aluminum alloy. This aluminum alloy grade is characterized by high strength, but due to its low formability in T6 temper, its use in the stamping processes of complex structural elements is limited. The authors have manufactured a U-shaped element at an elevated temperature and determined the optimal parameters of the process. Conventional heating of the sheet and shaping it at the temperature of 100 and 150 °C allowed to obtain a product of high strength similar to the T6 state, above 540 MPa. Due to the excessive springback of the sheet during forming, these products were characterized by a large deviation of the shape geometry, exceeding the allowable values of + / − 1 mm. Only the use of an alternative method of heating the sheet to temperatures of 200 and 240 °C (between plates at 350 °C, heating time 2 min, heating rate 1.8 °C/s) allowed to obtain a product that meets both the strength and geometric requirements. The determined optimal process’ parameters were later transferred to the stamping process of elements of a more complex shape (lower part of the B-pillar). The sheet was heated up and formed in the previously pre-heated tools. In the subsequent series of tests, the heating method and the blank’s temperature were being analyzed. In the case of the foot of the B-pillar, it was necessary to lower the initial blank temperature to 200 °C (heating in a furnace with a temperature of 340 °C, heating speed 0.5 °C/s). The appropriate combination of the process parameters resulted in the satisfactory shape deviation and reaching the product’s strength comparable to the strength of the material in as-delivered T6 temper. Using electron microscopy, it was verified that the structure of the finished product contained particles MgZn2 that strongly strengthen the alloy. The obtained results complement the data on the possibility of using 7075 aluminum alloy to produce energy-absorbing elements of motor vehicles.

Energy Absorption Enhancement by Unit Cell Angle Grading or Sandwich Panels with Auxetic Core

Architectured structures, particularly auxetic materials, have demonstrated encouraging applications in energy absorption as they facilitate the customization of their structural response. Specific geometries of unit cells can thus be tailored for particular needs due to recent progress in additive manufacturing techniques. This paper experimentally studies how the grading of the cell unit angle of an auxetic core in a sandwich panel affects its energy absorbing capability and structural response. 3D printed sandwich panels with uniform and graded auxetic cellular core were tested under quasistatic compression. The results show that sandwich panels with graded core exhibit much better energy absorption capabilities with higher plateau stress and densification strain. This indicates that, by appropriately controlling its geometry, auxetic structures can show further potential as core in sandwich panels for energy absorption applications.

The Compressive Behavior and Crashworthiness of Cork: A Review

Cork, a natural material from renewable resources, is currently attracting increasing interest in different industrial fields because of its cellular structure and the presence of the flexible suberin as its main chemical component. In an agglomerated form, it proved to be a compelling product not only as a thermal and acoustic insulator, but also as core material in sandwich structures and as a liner or padding in energy absorbing equipment. From this perspective, the assessment of its compressive response is fundamental to ensure the right out-of-plane stiffness required to a core material and the proper crashworthiness in the safety devices. Considering the complex nature of cork and the resulting peculiar compressive response, the present review article provides an overview of this paramount property, assessing the main parameters (anisotropy, temperature, strain rate, etc.) and the peculiar features (near-zero Poisson’s ratio and unique dimensional recovery) that characterize it in its natural state. Furthermore, considering its massive exploitation in the agglomerated form, the design parameters that allow its compressive behavior to be tailored and the operating parameters that can affect its crashworthiness were assessed, reporting some potential industrial applications.