Hierarchical Energy Absorption and Dynamic Response of Bionic Thin-Walled-Foam Composite Structures Based on Mechanical Matching Design

GAO Dandan; YAN Hao; ZHOU Ying; WANG Tao; HUANG Guangyan

doi:10.11858/gywlxb.20261043

Volume 40 Issue 7

Jul 2026

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Chinese Journal of High Pressure Physics > 2026 > 40(7): 070106.

GAO Dandan, YAN Hao, ZHOU Ying, WANG Tao, HUANG Guangyan. Hierarchical Energy Absorption and Dynamic Response of Bionic Thin-Walled-Foam Composite Structures Based on Mechanical Matching Design[J]. Chinese Journal of High Pressure Physics, 2026, 40(7): 070106. doi: 10.11858/gywlxb.20261043

Citation:

GAO Dandan, YAN Hao, ZHOU Ying, WANG Tao, HUANG Guangyan. Hierarchical Energy Absorption and Dynamic Response of Bionic Thin-Walled-Foam Composite Structures Based on Mechanical Matching Design[J]. Chinese Journal of High Pressure Physics, 2026, 40(7): 070106. doi: 10.11858/gywlxb.20261043

Citation:

GAO Dandan, YAN Hao, ZHOU Ying, WANG Tao, HUANG Guangyan. Hierarchical Energy Absorption and Dynamic Response of Bionic Thin-Walled-Foam Composite Structures Based on Mechanical Matching Design[J]. Chinese Journal of High Pressure Physics, 2026, 40(7): 070106. doi: 10.11858/gywlxb.20261043

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Hierarchical Energy Absorption and Dynamic Response of Bionic Thin-Walled-Foam Composite Structures Based on Mechanical Matching Design

doi: 10.11858/gywlxb.20261043

GAO Dandan^1
,,
YAN Hao¹,
ZHOU Ying^{2,*
,
,},
WANG Tao^{1,*
,
,},
HUANG Guangyan¹

1.
State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Safety Protection, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
2.
Applied Mechanics Laboratory, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Received Date: 06 Mar 2026
Rev Recd Date: 13 Apr 2026

Available Online: 17 Apr 2026

Issue Publish Date: 05 Jul 2026

Abstract

Abstract

To achieve the synergistic improvement of load-bearing stability and energy absorption in lightweight protective structures, a bio-inspired thin-walled-foam composite structure based on mechanical matching design was proposed. Three configurations of polylactic acid (PLA) bio-inspired shells were fabricated via additive manufacturing, and subsequently filled with polyurethane foam through an in-situ foaming process. Tensile tests, quasi-static compression tests, and drop-weight impact tests were conducted to investigate the foaming-induced thermal effects on the mechanical properties of the PLA shells and the structural response of the composites. Crashworthiness was evaluated using peak crushing force (PCF), plateau force, specific energy absorption (SEA), mean crushing force (MCF), and crushing force efficiency (CFE). Results show that the temperature rise during foaming reduces the elastic modulus and strength of PLA while improving its ductility, thereby enhancing the mechanical compatibility between the shell and foam. Consequently, the composite structures exhibit significantly increased plateau force and MCF, and their collapse mode transforms from local instability to progressive stacked crushing, leading to stable hierarchical energy absorption. Dynamic impact tests further demonstrate the superior load-bearing and energy absorption performance of the composite structures under high-energy impact. The results highlight the synergistic role of geometric configuration, material matching, and thermal-mechanical coupling in regulating the energy absorption behavior, providing guidance for the design of lightweight bio-inspired protective structures.
- hybrid biomimetic design,
- additive manufacturing,
- thin-walled-foam composite structures,
- thermal-mechanical coupling effect,
- hierarchical energy absorption

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References(38)

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Hierarchical Energy Absorption and Dynamic Response of Bionic Thin-Walled-Foam Composite Structures Based on Mechanical Matching Design

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