Lattice Component Structure for Decoupled Stiffness and Mass Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing components and structures face challenges in decoupling structural stiffness and mass density, leading to coupled properties that complicate manufacturing and increase thermal expansion stress and corrosion, reducing their lifespan and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing to create unit cell structures with decoupled structural stiffness and mass density properties, where unit cells are scaled to maintain consistent mass density while varying size and wall thickness to optimize local stiffness and mass distribution, allowing for multifunctional lightweight structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different materials are used to create varying stiffness and mass density properties, then stiffness and mass density can be independently modified, but thermal expansion stress increases and corrosion potential increases, reducing component lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating unit cells with varying geometries (different sizes, wall thicknesses, and configurations) within a single material structure. This allows different regions of the component to have different stiffness and mass density properties without changing the material composition, thereby avoiding thermal expansion and corrosion issues while achieving independent property modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes geometric parameters (unit cell size, wall thickness, configuration) rather than material parameters to achieve independent control of stiffness and mass density. By modifying the structural geometry at the unit cell level, the patent decouples the relationship between stiffness and mass density that exists in conventional homogeneous structures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different materials are used to create varying stiffness and mass density properties, then multifunctional structures can be created, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses local quality by implementing geometry variations at the unit cell level within a single material. This approach achieves multifunctionality through localized geometric modifications rather than through complex multi-material manufacturing processes, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the structure into repeating unit cells that can be independently designed and scaled. This segmentation allows complex multifunctional structures to be built from simple, standardized geometric modules, simplifying the manufacturing process while enabling diverse functional properties through geometric variation.
3Ease of manufacture
If stiffness and mass density are coupled in conventional structures, then manufacturing is simpler, but the ability to independently optimize stiffness and mass distribution is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters controlling structural properties by using geometric variations of unit cells instead of material composition changes. This allows independent optimization of stiffness and mass distribution while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a single-material additive manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the optimization from material composition space to geometric configuration space. By varying unit cell geometry in three-dimensional space (size, wall thickness, configuration) rather than changing materials, the patent achieves independent property optimization while keeping the manufacturing process simple and unified.
Data Source
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AI summary
A component (200, 300) is provided. The component (200, 300) includes a structure (202, 302) including a plurality of unit cells (204, 304) joined together, each unit cell (204, 304) of the plurality of unit cells (204, 304) having a mass density substantially similar to the mass density of every other unit cell (204, 304) of the plurality of unit cells (204, 304). The plurality of unit cells (204, 304) includes a first portion (206, 306) of unit cells (204, 304) having a characteristic dimension (212, 312) and a first portion (206, 306) average stiffness, the characteristic dimension (212, 312) of the first portion (206, 306) of unit cells (204, 304) having a first value. The plurality of unit cells (204, 304) also includes a second portion (208, 308) of unit cells (204, 304) having the characteristic dimension (212, 312) and a second portion (208, 308) average stiffness, the characteristic dimension (212, 312) of the second portion (208, 308) of unit cells (204, 304) having a second value different from the first value, wherein the second portion (208, 308) average stiffness differs from the first portion (206, 306) average stiffness.