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Design optimization of geometry and non-uniform arrangement for honeycomb cells considering size effect

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Abstract

To improve the strength and stiffness of a honeycomb core as well as the accuracy of equivalent elastic modulus calculation, a new optimization method with the consideration of size effect is developed for the non-uniform arrangement of cells with variable geometry. The analytical relations between the size and shape control factors and equivalent elastic constants are established using the energy method. The stiffness matrixes of substructures formed by uniform division of the honeycomb core are calculated using the finite element method. The static condensation technique is adopted to derive the stiffness matrixes of super-elements, and the global stiffness matrix of the honeycomb core is obtained through assembly. A multi-objective optimization model taking the size and shape control factors as design variables is solved using the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm to maximize the equivalent elastic moduli and minimize the structural deformation. The results are compared with those from the collaborative technology of MATLAB and ANSYS, and the static, modal and harmonic response analysis are performed on original and optimized honeycomb cores. Significant improvements of the structural performance are achieved in this process, confirming that the developed method constitutes a valuable tool for optimizing the geometry and arrangement of honeycomb cells.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51805369) and the Science and Technology Planning Project of Tianjin (Grant No. 20Y DTPJC00820).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China

    Xu Zhang

  2. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Mechatronics Equipment Technology, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China

    Xu Zhang, Zhaoming Su & Zituo Wang

  3. School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, 300384, China

    Wei Li

Authors
  1. Xu Zhang
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  2. Zhaoming Su
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  3. Wei Li
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  4. Zituo Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xu Zhang.

Additional information

Xu Zhang is currently a Professor in School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China. She received her Ph.D. degree in College of Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University, Shenyang, China, in 2007. Her current research interests include optimal design, aerodynamic performance and structural damage analysis.

Zhaoming Su is currently a master in School of Mechanical Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China. He received his Undergraduate degree in School of Mechatronics and Vehicle Engineering from Weifang College, Weifang, China, in 2020. His current research interests include optimal design and structural damage analysis.

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Zhang, X., Su, Z., Li, W. et al. Design optimization of geometry and non-uniform arrangement for honeycomb cells considering size effect. J Mech Sci Technol 36, 6135–6145 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-1128-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-1128-0

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