Journal of Science  and Technology of Composites

Journal of Science and Technology of Composites

Experimental study of energy absorption capacity of spring-reinforced honeycomb Structures filled with polyurethane foam under quasi-static loading

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Shahid Sattari University of Aeronautical Sciences and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
This study introduces an innovative approach to the design of honeycomb structures by presenting a new reinforced structure with hexagonal spring-reinforced cell walls. The crashworthiness and energy absorption capabilities of the proposed structure are evaluated and compared to those of traditional honeycomb structures. Additionally, the impact of filling the void space between the cells of the honeycomb structure with rigid polyurethane foam on the mechanical strength and energy absorption of the structures is investigated. In this research, four types of honeycomb structures made of polylactic acid (PLA+) were fabricated using an FDM 3D printer with cubic dimensions. Subsequently, a two-part polyurethane foam was injected into the void space between the cells. The samples were then subjected to quasi-static compressive loading out-of-plane, and the resulting force-displacement diagrams were extracted. The results showed that the proposed spring-reinforced honeycomb structure, in its empty state, exhibited a 14% increase in energy absorption and mean crushing force, along with a 24% increase in crushing force efficiency compared to the traditional honeycomb structure. When filled with foam, the proposed structure showed a 21% increase in energy absorption and mean crushing force and a 26% increase in crushing force efficiency, indicating an improved performance. Furthermore, applying polyurethane foam in both traditional and reinforced honeycomb structures resulted in a 16% and 23% increase in energy absorption and mean crushing force, respectively, demonstrating an improvement in their mechanical properties.
Keywords

Subjects


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