Topology Optimization for Thermoelastic Metamaterials

Abstract

The concept of thermoelastic metamaterials has been around for over two decades. Nevertheless they are rarely applied, due to their poor manufacturability. To enhance their applicability, a topology optimization framework is proposed and verified, able to generate finite thermoelastic unit cell arrays with tailored unidirectional thermal expansion, manufacturable through automated multi-material additive manufacturing methods. A thermoelastic unit cell array is optimized for near zero thermal expansion. A sample has been fabricated using a low-tech production process, inspired by a multi-material ultrasonic additive manufacturing process, with a unidirectional thermal expansion of (-4±8) μm=(m°C). With this sample, the numerical predictions have been validated experimentally, confirming the capability of the proposed design approach to generate performant and realizable thermoelastic metamaterials.

Full document