Energy absorption performance of honeycombs with curved cell walls under quasi-static compression

By replacing the cell wall of traditional rhombus honeycomb with a curved surface, two kinds of honeycombs with curved cell walls were designed and fabricated by fused deposition modeling(FDM) method. In-plane compressive experiments were conducted by the electronic universal testing machine to investigate the quasi-static mechanical response and deformation evolution of the specimens. Finite element models of the proposed honeycombs with different relative densities and gradient arrangements were established based on solid elements. Numerical simulations were performed by ABAQUS and the reliability of the numerical simulation results is verified by comparison with experimental results. Meanwhile, the effects of relative density and gradient type on the mechanical properties and energy absorption performance of honeycombs with curved cell walls were analyzed. It was revealed that with the relative density increases, the strength and relative stiffness of intersecting curved honeycomb(ICH) are significantly enhanced. The intersecting curved honeycomb(ICH) with a continuous gradient exhibits the best energy absorption performance compared with the conventional honeycombs.