In-plane dynamic crushing behavior and energy absorption of honeycombs with a novel type of multi-cells

In order to pursue better crashworthiness and higher energy absorption efficiency, a new type of multi-cell honeycomb (quadri-arc) was designed and followed by a series of numerical studies on in-plane dynamic crushing behavior and energy absorption property under different impact loading. Meanwhile, simulations of a regular circular single-cell honeycomb were also conducted as comparisons. Three distinct deformation modes were identified from the observation of deformation profiles: quasi-static, transition and dynamic, respectively. Simulations indicate that deformation modes are not only influenced by impact velocity but also sensitive to relative density of the honeycomb, based on which a deformation map was summarized. Furthermore, the plateau stress and energy absorption of the quadri-arc honeycomb as well as the circular honeycomb were explored and compared, during which effects of impact velocity and relative density of the honeycomb were discussed in detail. The results show that a much higher plateau stress and better energy absorption efficiency for the quadri-arc honeycomb are predicted compared to the circular honeycomb, especially in the quasi-static case. The investigation suggests that design of the quadri-arc multi-cell will enhance the crashworthiness and energy absorption capacity of honeycombs.