Session: 01-02-02: Adaptive and Multifunctional Structures

Paper Number: 137924

137924 - Additively Manufactured Fiber-Assisted Porous Structures With Enhanced Multifunctional Properties 

Additive manufacturing has enabled the fabrication of complex cellular structures that can be designed to achieve multifunctional performance. For most functionalities, reducing the cell or pore size results in better properties. However, this improvement comes with the drawbacks of increased weight, flow disruption, and dimensionality issues inherent in achieving small pore geometries. To address this, we propose an additive technique that reduces the effective pore size without significantly adding to the structural weight. The technique relies on incorporating a fibrous mesh within the porous scaffold. We experimentally study the acoustic, flow, and mechanical properties of such fiber-assisted porous structures. Specifically, we focus on how various porous and fibrous parameters, such as structural relative density and fiber thickness, influence the multifunctional properties of the structure. The resultant multifunctional structures demonstrate efficient sound absorption, particularly at low frequencies, with most samples nearing complete absorption around 2000 Hz. Further, our results show that integrating the fibrous mesh also improves the mechanical performance of the structures, including its stiffness and mechanical energy absorption properties. We conclude that the integration of fibers into a porous structure offers a lightweight solution for enhancing multifunctionality, effectively bypassing the limitations imposed by simply reducing pore size.

Presenting Author: Bhisham Sharma Wichita State University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Sharma joined the department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics as an Associate Professor in August 2023. Prior to joining Michigan Tech, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Wichita State University. His overall research our goal is to make engineering structures safer, quieter, and more efficient. To achieve this, his research mission is to create new knowledge and address technology challenges at the intersection of structural mechanics, dynamics, and acoustics. At one end, his research focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanics of novel engineered material systems such as acoustic metamaterials, phononic structures, architected lattice structures, and stochastic foams. At the other end of the spectrum, his group focuses on translating this knowledge to create performance-tailored solutions to critical engineering problems across various industries.