Academic Journal of Engineering and Technology Science, 2025, 8(5); doi: 10.25236/AJETS.2025.080501.
Zhengtong Han1,2, Wentao Sun1, Yingtao Zhang1, Shayuan Weng1
1College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou, China
2College of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
Mechanical metamaterials with negative thermal expansion possess the dimensional control ability under large temperature range, and accordingly are promising in engineering applications. One challenge in developing this metamaterial through topology optimization is the potential contradiction between the thermal expansion and stiffness. Here, a multi-material topology optimization design framework was first built based on the Alternative Active Phase & Objective algorithm. Subsequently, guided by this framework, a series of metamaterials comprising two and three base materials were designed. Their deformation mechanisms were then elucidated through numerical simulation. Furthermore, influences of the material varieties on the target performances were analyzed in detail. Results showed that through giving rising to the material varieties, the bounds of the negative thermal expansion restricted by the stiffness constraints can be effetely crossed. The topology-optimized metamaterials are of extreme negative thermal expansion with the advantage of also satisfying the requirements of the elastic stiffness. The design method and resultant mechanical metamaterials are expected to provide a guideline for the engineering applications of this kind of mechanical metamaterials.
Mechanical Metamaterial; Topology Optimization; Thermal Expansion; Stiffness Constraint
Zhengtong Han, Wentao Sun, Yingtao Zhang, Shayuan Weng. Mechanical Metamaterials with Negative Thermal Expansion Designed through Multi-Material Topology Optimization. Academic Journal of Engineering and Technology Science (2025), Vol. 8, Issue 5: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJETS.2025.080501.
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