A comprehensive research on SNPR structures with energy absorption and bearing capacities: topology optimization, numerical simulation and experimental verification

Abstract

The physical applications of negative Poisson’s ratio structures of insufficient bearing capacity were limited. The topologies of high stiffness negative Poisson’s ratio (T-SNPR) were designed, and the bearing and energy absorption performance of their three-dimensional structures (S-SNPR) were analyzed using the finite element method. Furthermore, the experimental results of the second SNPR structure (S-SNPR-2) specimen produced by wire electro discharge machining (WEDM) were identical to the numerical results, and the error values of force and energy absorption were 8.9% and 14.9%, respectively. The SNPR-2 obtained the higher EA value of 83 kJ, SEA value of 2.3 kJ kg⁻¹, and bearing force value of 1050 kN, as well as the more extensive compress stroke strain value of 0.18 than S-SNPR-1. Under compression and high-velocity impact, the S-SNPR-2 structure with a relative density value of 0.57 obtained better bearing, energy absorption, and impact resistance capacities. Under low- and medium-velocity impact, the S-SNPR-2 structure with a relative density value of 0.52 obtained better bearing and impact resistance characteristics, and the S-SNPR-2 structure with a relative density value of 0.57 had better energy absorption performance. The S-SNPR-2 proposed in this paper has a good application prospect as an energy-absorbing component in coal mining supporting equipment.

Graphical abstract