Hybrid structural connector and method of making same

By designing a hybrid structural connector that combines a metal frame, a metal load-bearing structure, and a damping structure, the problem of heavy rocket engine connectors and poor vibration reduction was solved. This achieved weight reduction and vibration reduction of the connectors, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the rocket engine.

CN115434825BActive Publication Date: 2026-01-06NORTHWESTERN POLYTECHNICAL UNIV
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202210430852.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-04-22
Publication Date
2026-01-06
Estimated Expiration
2042-04-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The connecting components in rocket engines are heavy and have poor shock absorption, which makes them unable to effectively absorb vibration energy, leading to structural failure and vibration transmission.

Method used

The system employs a hybrid structural connector, comprising a metal frame, a metal load-bearing structure, a metal lattice structure, and a damping structure, formed using 3D printing technology. The metal frame encloses a cavity, the metal load-bearing structure is located within the cavity, the metal lattice structure fills the gaps, and the damping structure fills the pores. The damping material is polyurethane or silicone rubber, with low material density and a damping loss factor greater than 0.2.

Benefits of technology

This achieves weight reduction and vibration reduction in the connectors, effectively absorbing vibration energy, preventing structural damage and breakage, and improving the load-bearing capacity and vibration resistance of the connectors.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of aerospace, and discloses a hybrid structure connecting piece for connecting between rocket engine components, which comprises a metal frame, a metal load-bearing structure in the cavity, a metal lattice structure filled in the gap between the metal load-bearing structure and the cavity, and a damping structure filled in the pores of the metal lattice structure. The metal load-bearing structure is made of metal, which can improve the carrying capacity of the connecting piece. The metal lattice structure can reduce the weight of the structure compared with the complete metal structure. The filled damping structure can absorb energy and play a buffering and damping effect. The hybrid structure connecting piece can realize weight reduction and vibration reduction at the connection between the rocket engine components.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of aerospace technology, and more specifically, to a hybrid structure connector and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Metal components in liquid rocket engines are evolving towards greater complexity, thinner walls, integration, lightweighting, and higher reliability. Rocket engines are structurally complex, primarily consisting of a thrust chamber, turbopump, gas generator, starter, and various valves, regulators, and pipelines. These components are interconnected using plates, rods, brackets, and lugs. Rocket engines generate extremely intense vibrations during launch and flight. This harsh environment demands that connecting components possess load-bearing, energy-absorbing, and vibration-resistant capabilities to prevent structural failure, while also minimizing the transmission of vibrations from the vibration source to adjacent components.

[0003] In related technologies, rocket engines and related components are connected by connectors, which have drawbacks such as being heavy and having poor shock absorption.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a hybrid structure connector and its preparation method.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a hybrid structure connector is provided for connecting rocket engine components, comprising: a metal frame enclosing a cavity; a metal load-bearing structure located within the cavity; a metal lattice structure filling the gap between the metal load-bearing structure and the cavity; and a damping structure filling the pores of the metal lattice structure.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the unit cell configuration of the metal lattice structure is of the BCCZ type.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the density of the damping structure is less than the density of the metal load-bearing structure, and the damping loss factor of the damping structure is greater than or equal to 0.2.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the damping structure is made of polyurethane or silicone rubber, and the metal frame, the metal load-bearing structure, and the metal lattice structure are made of titanium-aluminum alloy.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the chamber includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber that are interconnected. The third chamber is located between the first chamber and the second chamber, and the first chamber and the second chamber are mirror-symmetrical about the third chamber. The orthographic projection of the first chamber and the second chamber onto the plane of the third chamber along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the third chamber is L-shaped, and the intersection of the L-shapes is located at one apex corner of the third chamber. The metal load-bearing structure includes a main body, a first connecting part, and a second connecting part. One side of the main body has a first end and a second end that are disposed opposite to each other in its extending direction. The first connecting part is connected to the first end of the main body, and the second connecting part is connected to the second end of the main body. The first connecting part includes a first sub-connecting part and a second sub-connecting part located on both sides of the main body. The second connecting part includes a third sub-connecting part and a fourth sub-connecting part located on both sides of the main body. The first sub-connecting part and the third sub-connecting part are located in the first chamber, the second sub-connecting part and the fourth sub-connecting part are located in the second chamber, and the main body is located in the third chamber.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first sub-connecting portion and the second sub-connecting portion are mirror-symmetrical about the main body portion, and the third sub-connecting portion and the fourth sub-connecting portion are mirror-symmetrical about the main body portion; the first sub-connecting portion has a first through hole, the second sub-connecting portion has a second through hole, and the first through hole penetrates the first chamber in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the first sub-connecting portion is located, and the second through hole penetrates the second chamber in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second sub-connecting portion is located, and the first through hole and the second through hole are mirror-symmetrical about the third chamber; the second connecting portion includes a first end face and a second end face disposed opposite to each other in the connection direction of the first end and the second end of the main body portion, the second end face is located on the side of the first end face away from the first connecting portion, the second connecting portion is bent, and the second connecting portion is bent in a direction along the second end face away from the first end face.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the main body of the metal load-bearing structure has a hollow portion, and the hollow portion is filled with the metal dot matrix structure.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the metal frame is greater than or equal to 0.475 mm and less than or equal to 0.525 mm.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the metal frame, the metal load-bearing structure, and the metal lattice structure are formed by 3D printing.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for preparing a hybrid structure connector is also provided, for preparing the hybrid structure connector described in any embodiment of this disclosure. The method includes: optimizing a target connector using a preset algorithm to obtain a metal load-bearing structure; determining a metal frame based on the target connector; determining a metal lattice structure based on the metal frame and the metal load-bearing structure; printing the metal frame, the metal load-bearing structure, and the metal lattice structure using 3D printing technology; filling with damping material to form a damping structure within the pores of the metal lattice structure; and molding to obtain the hybrid structure connector.

[0016] The present disclosure discloses a metal load-bearing structure, a metal lattice structure, and a damping structure disposed within a metal frame to form a hybrid structural connector. The metal load-bearing structure is made of metal, which can improve the load-bearing capacity of the connector. The metal lattice structure can reduce the structural weight compared to a complete metal structure. The filled damping structure can absorb energy and play a buffering and vibration reduction role. When the hybrid structural connector provided by the present disclosure is applied to the support or bracket of a strong vibration source of an aircraft or spacecraft, such as the connection between a rocket engine body and a cooler or the connection between a cable gas distribution box, weight reduction and vibration reduction can be achieved at the connection.

[0017] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a hybrid structure connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a medium-sized metal load-bearing structure;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the central metal frame;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a lattice structure sandwich panel formed by a unit cell configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 5A comparison diagram of the modal frequency characteristics of lattice structure sandwich panels formed by different unit cell configurations according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the stress during compression of a sandwich panel with a lattice structure composed of BCCZ-type unit cells according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the stress during compression of a lattice structure sandwich panel composed of other unit cells according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of a metal load-bearing structure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for preparing a hybrid structure connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0029] Although relative terms such as "up" and "down" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples shown in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped upside down, the component described as "up" will become the component described as "down." When a structure is "up" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0030] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0031] This disclosure provides a hybrid structural connector that can be used for connecting rocket engine components. For example, the hybrid structural connector can be used to connect the rocket engine body to other loads outside the engine. Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a hybrid structure connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a medium-sized metal load-bearing structure. Figure 3 for Figure 1 As shown in Figure 1-3, the structural schematic diagram of the metal frame in the figure shows that the hybrid structure connector may include a metal frame 1, a metal load-bearing structure 2, a metal lattice structure 3, and a damping structure (not shown in the figure). The metal frame 1 encloses a cavity; the metal load-bearing structure 2 is located in the cavity; the metal lattice structure 3 fills the gap between the metal load-bearing structure 2 and the cavity; and the damping structure fills the pores of the metal lattice structure 3.

[0032] The hybrid structural connector provided in this exemplary embodiment includes a metal load-bearing structure 2, a metal lattice structure 3, and a damping structure. The metal load-bearing structure 2, the metal lattice structure 3, and the damping structure are disposed within a metal frame 1 to form a hybrid structural connector. The metal load-bearing structure 2 is made of metal, which can improve the load-bearing capacity of the connector. The metal lattice structure 3 can reduce the structural weight compared to a complete metal structure. The filled damping structure can absorb energy and play a buffering and vibration reduction role. When the hybrid structural connector provided in this exemplary embodiment is applied to the support or bracket of a strong vibration source of an aircraft or spacecraft, such as the connection between a rocket engine body and a cooler or the connection between a cable gas distribution box, weight reduction and vibration reduction can be achieved at the connection.

[0033] It is understood that the hybrid structure connector in this exemplary embodiment may have different shapes and sizes in different application scenarios.

[0034] In this exemplary embodiment, the metal frame 1 is mainly used to provide molding space for the lattice structure. The metal frame 1, the metal load-bearing structure 2, and the metal lattice structure 3 can all be made of metal alloy materials, such as titanium-aluminum alloy (Ti6Al4V). In this exemplary embodiment, the metal frame 1, the metal load-bearing structure 2, and the metal lattice structure 3 can be integrally printed using 3D printing technology. After the composite metal structure is completed by 3D printing, damping material is then filled to form a damping structure, resulting in the final hybrid structure connector.

[0035] In this exemplary embodiment, the metal load-bearing structure 2 can be obtained through topology optimization based on existing connectors using a certain algorithm. The metal load-bearing structure 2 is the part of the connector that connects to the rocket engine, and it is a region with high stress in the connector. The metal load-bearing structure 2 is formed of solid metal and has corresponding load-bearing capacity, serving as the main load-bearing structure in the hybrid connector. Other regions in the connector besides the metal load-bearing structure 2 are filled with a metal lattice structure 3 to form a hybrid metal structure. Obviously, the weight of the metal lattice structure 3 is less than the weight of the solid metal structure, thus the resulting hybrid connector is lighter than a connector made of solid metal, achieving weight reduction in the connector.

[0036] In this exemplary embodiment, the unit cell configuration of the metal lattice structure 3 is BCCZ type. The BCCZ type lattice structure not only has good load-bearing capacity, but also can be combined with the damping structure to make the hybrid structure connector have a good vibration reduction effect. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a lattice structure sandwich panel formed by unit cell configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The hollow sandwich panel is obtained by arranging the unit cell configuration in an array and then adding metal plates to the upper and lower sides of the array structure. This exemplary embodiment verifies the load-bearing capacity and vibration reduction effect of the BCCZ-type lattice structure by conducting comparative tests on sandwich panels formed by different unit cell configurations. For example, Figure 5 This is a comparison diagram of the modal frequency characteristics of lattice structure sandwich panels formed by different unit cell configurations according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents the modal order, the vertical axis represents the frequency, and k1 is the modal frequency of the sandwich panel formed by the BCCZ type unit cell configuration. Figure 5 As shown, the sandwich panel formed by the BCCZ-type unit cell configuration has the highest natural frequencies, with its first natural frequency being 335Hz, significantly higher than the first natural frequency of sandwich panels with other configurations. This means that the metal lattice structure 3 of the BCCZ-type unit cell configuration has a high natural frequency, making it less prone to resonance with vibrations in the working environment, thus exhibiting better anti-resonance capabilities and preventing damage to the hybrid structure connectors caused by resonance. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the stress under compression of a sandwich panel with a lattice structure composed of BCCZ-type unit cells according to one embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the stress and strain of a sandwich panel with a lattice structure composed of other unit cells under compression, according to one embodiment of this disclosure. In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents strain, and the vertical axis represents pressure. Figure 6 The two curves in the figure represent the stress-strain curves of two sandwich panels with a lattice structure composed of BCCZ-type unit cells. Figure 7 The two curves in the figure represent the stress-strain curves of two sandwich panels with lattice structures composed of other types of unit cells. Figure 6 , 7It can be seen that the lattice structure sandwich panel composed of BCCZ type unit cells has a larger load-bearing capacity. Before it is damaged, it can withstand a stress of about 3.3MPa, which is much greater than the stress bearing capacity of the sandwich panel with another unit cell configuration, thus meeting the load-bearing capacity requirements of the hybrid structure connector of this disclosure.

[0037] In this exemplary embodiment, a damping structure is used to fill the pores of the metal lattice structure 3. This damping structure absorbs vibration energy, effectively mitigating the strong vibrations generated during rocket engine operation as they pass through the hybrid structure connector. This prevents damage and breakage of the connector and other components connected to the rocket engine due to vibration, ensuring the safety of the connector and other rocket engine components. It is understood that the density of the damping material forming the damping structure in this exemplary embodiment needs to be much lower than the density of the metal load-bearing structure 2 to further reduce the weight of the hybrid structure connector. Furthermore, the damping loss factor forming the damping structure in this exemplary embodiment is greater than or equal to 0.2, for example, it can be 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.4, etc., to achieve good vibration reduction. For example, the damping structure can be made of polyurethane or silicone rubber materials with excellent damping energy absorption characteristics. Both materials have good flow and solidification characteristics, allowing them to fill the pores of the metal lattice structure 3 without solidifying too quickly, effectively reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the hybrid structure connector.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown in this exemplary embodiment, the chamber enclosed by the metal frame 1 may include a first chamber 11, a second chamber 12, and a third chamber 13 that are interconnected. The third chamber 13 is located between the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12, and the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are mirror-symmetrical about the third chamber 13. The orthographic projection of the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 onto the plane of the third chamber 13 along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the third chamber 13 is L-shaped, and the intersection of the L-shapes is located at one vertex of the third chamber 13. In the actual manufacturing process, the metal frame 1, the metal load-bearing structure 2, and the metal lattice structure 3 can be integrally formed using 3D printing technology, and then damping material can be filled to form a damping structure, resulting in the final hybrid structure connector.

[0039] like Figure 1 , 2As shown in Figure 3, the metal load-bearing structure 2 may include a main body 21, a first connecting part, and a second connecting part. One side a of the main body 21 has a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other in its extending direction. The first connecting part is connected to the first end of the main body 21, and the second connecting part is connected to the second end of the main body 21. The first connecting part may include a first sub-connecting part 221 and a second sub-connecting part 222 located on both sides of the main body 21. The second connecting part may include a third sub-connecting part 231 and a fourth sub-connecting part 232 located on both sides of the main body 21. The first sub-connecting part 221 and the third sub-connecting part 231 are located in the first chamber 11, the second sub-connecting part 222 and the fourth sub-connecting part 232 are located in the second chamber 12, and the main body 21 is located in the third chamber 13. The second connecting part can be used to connect the rocket engine body, and the first connecting part can be used to connect other components that cooperate with the rocket engine, such as a cooler or a cable distribution box. The first connecting part and the second connecting part are connected through the main body 21. As described above, the metal load-bearing structure 2 can be obtained by topology optimization based on existing connectors using a certain algorithm. For example, the metal load-bearing structure 2 obtained by algorithm optimization can be a right-angled triangle, and without affecting the load-bearing capacity, the metal load-bearing structure 2 can be hollowed out. This hollowed-out area 211 can be filled with a metal lattice structure 3, thereby further reducing the weight of the resulting hybrid structure connector. The first and second ends of the main body 21 can be located on a right-angled side of the right triangle; specifically, the first end can be a right-angled end, and the second end can be an acute-angled end. Of course, in other exemplary embodiments, the metal load-bearing structure 2 can also have other structures and / or shapes, such as non-right-angled triangles or quadrilaterals, depending on the software used and its optimization algorithm; these are all within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the connector can also connect the rocket engine body to other equipment, not limited to the aforementioned cooler or cable distribution box.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of a metal load-bearing structure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown below. Figure 8As shown in this exemplary embodiment, the shape of the second connecting portion in the metal load-bearing structure 2 that connects to the rocket engine body needs to match the shape of the rocket engine body. For example, the extension direction of side a where the first end and the second end are located is denoted as the first direction X. The second connecting portion may include a first end face 233 and a second end face 234 disposed opposite each other in the first direction X. The second end face 234 is located on the side of the first end face 233 away from the first connecting portion. The second connecting portion can be bent, and the second connecting portion can be bent along the direction of the second end face 234 away from the first end face 233, so that the shape of the second connecting portion matches the outer surface shape of the connected rocket engine body. Specifically, the second end face 234 in the second connecting portion can be an arc-shaped surface, and the curvature of this arc-shaped surface can be adjusted and set according to the outer surface shape of the connected rocket engine body. It is understood that in other exemplary embodiments, the second connecting portion in the metal load-bearing structure 2 that connects to the rocket engine body can also have other shapes.

[0041] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figure 3, in this exemplary embodiment, the first connecting portion may include a connecting hole for connection with devices such as a cooler or a cable distribution box. For example, the first connecting portion may include a first sub-connecting portion 221 and a second sub-connecting portion 222. The first sub-connecting portion 221 may be located within a first chamber 11, and the second sub-connecting portion 222 may be located within a second chamber 12. The first sub-connecting portion 221 may have a first through hole 232, which penetrates the first chamber 11 along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first sub-connecting portion 221. A bolt can then be used to connect the connecting portion to devices such as a cooler or a cable distribution box via the first through hole 232. Similarly, the second sub-connecting portion 222 may have a second through hole 233, which penetrates the second chamber 12 along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the second sub-connecting portion 222. A bolt can then be used to connect the connecting member to devices such as a cooler or a cable distribution box via the second through hole 233. It should be understood that in other exemplary embodiments, the connector may also be connected to devices such as coolers or cable distribution boxes via other structures.

[0042] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a method for preparing a hybrid structure connector, used to prepare the hybrid structure connector described in any of the above embodiments. Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for preparing a hybrid structure connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown below. Figure 9 As shown, the preparation method may include the following steps:

[0043] S110. Optimize the target connector using a preset algorithm to obtain a metal load-bearing structure;

[0044] S120. Determine the metal frame based on the target connector;

[0045] S130. Determine the metal lattice structure based on the metal frame and metal load-bearing structure;

[0046] S140. Using 3D printing technology to print metal frames, metal load-bearing structures, and metal lattice structures;

[0047] S150, Fill with damping material to form a damping structure within the pores of the metal lattice structure;

[0048] S160, forming a hybrid structure connector.

[0049] Step S110 involves topology optimization based on existing connectors to obtain a metal load-bearing structure. The target connector is the existing solid metal connector. Specifically, stress analysis is performed using pre-defined software on the existing connector. Through iterative calculations, structures with higher stress are retained, while those with lower stress are deleted, ultimately resulting in the metal load-bearing structure. The topology optimization method first sets the objective function and state parameter constraints for the optimization process. During the analysis, the material properties of the designable region elements within the initial model are continuously modified. The optimal design objective is obtained by iteratively deleting elements. For example, the structural optimization module of the finite element software Abaqus can be used to optimize the connector design through topology optimization, shape optimization, and size optimization methods, ensuring that the resulting load-bearing structure meets the requirements of lightweight, stiffness, and durability.

[0050] Step S120 involves determining a metal frame based on the existing target connector. Specifically, this means wrapping a metal structure around the existing target connector to form the metal frame. For example, a titanium alloy skin can be added to the existing target connector, essentially creating a cavity within which the metal load-bearing structure obtained in step S110 is located. Steps S110 and S120 prepare for the subsequent step S130. Furthermore, the purpose of setting up the metal frame in this step is to provide molding space for the damping material filled in the subsequent step S150, preventing the damping material from leaking out. In this exemplary embodiment, small holes can be formed on the surface of the metal frame, and the damping material can be filled by pressure injection. Once molded, the damping material forms the damping structure. It is understood that in this exemplary embodiment, the metal frame needs to meet certain thickness requirements. In this exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the metal frame can be set to be greater than or equal to 0.475 mm and less than or equal to 0.525 mm, for example, 0.475 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.525 mm, etc. It should be understood that the thickness of the metal frame can be adjusted according to different usage scenarios of the connectors. In addition, it should be noted that in this exemplary embodiment, the shape, size, and other parameters of the metal frame and the metal load-bearing structure are determined through steps S110 and S120, in order to determine the parameters of the metal lattice structure in step S130 and to provide printing parameters for step S140.

[0051] Step S130 involves determining parameters such as the filling position and amount of the metal lattice structure based on the steps described above. This exemplary embodiment replaces the less stressed structure in the connector with a metal lattice structure on top of the existing metal load-bearing structure. Because the weight of the metal lattice structure is less than that of solid metal, the final weight of the hybrid structure connector is lower than that of a connector formed using solid metal, thus achieving weight reduction in the connector.

[0052] After determining the metal lattice structure, metal load-bearing structure, and metal frame, the metal frame, metal load-bearing structure, and metal lattice structure are integrally printed using 3D printing technology in step S140. It should be understood that in other exemplary embodiments, the metal load-bearing structure, metal lattice structure, and metal frame can also be obtained through other processes.

[0053] Then, in step S140, damping material is filled into the hybrid structure consisting of the metal frame, the metal load-bearing structure, and the metal lattice structure. The damping material fills the pores of the metal lattice structure, forming a damping structure. This damping structure can absorb vibration energy. The strong vibrations generated when the rocket engine is working can be effectively reduced when passing through the connector of this hybrid structure, reducing the vibration of the connector and thus preventing damage and breakage of the connector and other components connected to the rocket engine due to vibration, ensuring the safety of the connector and the external load. In this exemplary embodiment, the damping material can be polyurethane or silicone rubber, which have excellent damping and energy absorption characteristics, to further improve the vibration reduction effect of the damping structure. Both of these materials are easy to fill, which can reduce the difficulty of the connector manufacturing process to a certain extent. In this exemplary embodiment, the damping material can be filled using a pressure filling method to form a damping structure within the pores of the metal lattice structure. Of course, in other exemplary embodiments, the damping structure can also be formed in other ways.

[0054] It is understood that the hybrid structure connector prepared by the method of this exemplary embodiment has the beneficial effects described in any of the above embodiments of this disclosure.

[0055] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hybrid structural joint for use in connecting between components of a rocket engine, characterized by, The metal frame surrounds a cavity. The metal load-bearing structure is located in the cavity. The metal point array structure is filled in the gap between the metal load-bearing structure and the cavity, wherein the unit cell configuration of the metal point array structure is BCCZ type. The damping structure is filled in the pores of the metal point array structure. The cavity includes a first cavity, a second cavity and a third cavity which are connected to each other, the third cavity is located between the first cavity and the second cavity, and the first cavity and the second cavity are mirror symmetric about the third cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are L-shaped in the direction perpendicular to the projection of the third cavity on the plane, and the intersection of the L-shaped is located at one of the top corners of the third cavity. The metal load-bearing structure includes a main body, a first connecting part and a second connecting part, one side of the main body has a first end and a second end which are oppositely arranged in the extension direction, the first connecting part is connected to the first end of the main body, and the second connecting part is connected to the second end of the main body. The first connecting part includes a first sub-connecting part and a second sub-connecting part which are located on both sides of the main body, the second connecting part includes a third sub-connecting part and a fourth sub-connecting part which are located on both sides of the main body, the first sub-connecting part and the third sub-connecting part are located in the first cavity, the second sub-connecting part and the fourth sub-connecting part are located in the second cavity, and the main body is located in the third cavity. The main body of the metal load-bearing structure has a hollow part, and the hollow part is filled with the metal point array structure. The density of the damping structure is less than the density of the metal load-bearing structure, and the damping loss factor of the damping structure is greater than or equal to 0.

2.

2. The hybrid structural connector of claim 1, wherein, The material of the damping structure is polyurethane or silicone rubber, and the materials of the metal frame, the metal load-bearing structure and the metal point array structure are titanium-aluminum alloy.

3. The hybrid structural connector of claim 2, wherein, The first sub-connecting part and the second sub-connecting part are mirror symmetric about the main body, and the third sub-connecting part and the fourth sub-connecting part are mirror symmetric about the main body.

4. The hybrid structural connector of claim 1, wherein, The first sub-connecting part has a first via, the second sub-connecting part has a second via, the first via penetrates the first cavity in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the first sub-connecting part is located, the second via penetrates the second cavity in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the second sub-connecting part is located, and the first via and the second via are mirror symmetric about the third cavity. The second connecting part includes a first end face and a second end face which are oppositely arranged in the connecting direction of the first end and the second end of the main body, the second end face is located on the side away from the first connecting part of the first end face, the second connecting part is bent, and the second connecting part is bent in the direction away from the first end face of the second end face. The thickness of the metal frame is greater than or equal to 0.475mm and less than or equal to 0.525mm.

5. The hybrid structural connector of claim 1, wherein, The metal frame, the metal load-bearing structure and the metal point array structure are formed by 3D printing.

6. The hybrid structural connector of any of claims 1-4, wherein, The method includes:

7. A method for producing a hybrid structural connector for producing a hybrid structural connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that ​ using a preset algorithm to optimize the target connector, to obtain a metal load-bearing structure; determining a metal frame based on the target connector; determining a metal dot-matrix structure based on the metal frame and the metal load-bearing structure; printing the metal frame, the metal load-bearing structure and the metal dot-matrix structure using a 3D printing technology; filling a damping material to form a damping structure in the pores of the metal dot-matrix structure; molding to obtain a hybrid structure connector.

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