Energy absorption performance of Kresling origami tubes under impact loading

Thin-walled tubes with an origami design, particularly the Kresling pattern, exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to traditional straight tubes, including a more constant reaction force and predictable deformation. Despite their potential, research on these patterned structures, especially when made from structural materials like metal and tested under dynamic conditions, remains limited. This study investigates the compressive performance of aluminium Kresling origami tubes (KOTs) under quasi-static and impact scenarios (up to 30 m/s) in the axial direction. Results show that increased impact velocity leads to more localized deformation and improved energy absorption metrics. A validated numerical model was used to analyze the influence of hierarchy rotation, sector angles, and loading velocity on mechanical performance. Comparisons with Miura-ori patterned tubes and hexagonal cross-section straight tubes of the same relative density revealed that KOTs have superior energy absorption performance. An empirical model was developed to effectively predict the mean crushing stress of KOTs. In addition. a generative machine learning model was introduced to synthesize a large dataset from initial simulations, providing an efficient and reliable solution for energy absorption analysis in origami structures, addressing the challenge of limited specimen datasets.