The effect of grid-box material on energy absorption of shear thickening fluid-filled hyperelastic structure: A numerical study

Shear thickening fluids (STFs), composed of a dense suspension of nanoparticles, in a carrier fluid are of considerable significance in energy absorption systems. The necessity of utilizing this type of material in body protection applications emphasizes the role of a matrix as a fluid container. Also, it provides a flexible structure to ease usage. In this paper, the impact behavior of a hyperelastic nested structure filled with STF is numerically investigated at three impact energies of ۱۴ J, ۲۸ J, and ۵۶ J. According to the FEM results, fluid-solid-interaction (FSI) is the main mechanism of energy absorption. The material type of the grid box is one of the most determinant factors in the activation of FSI, which is highly influenced by the impact velocity. Three types of material, including polyurethane foam (low modulus) and elastomers (mid and high modulus), were modeled as the grid box. It is concluded that as the impact velocity increases, the efficiency of the foam type for activating FSI decreases. In contrast, in the case of lower impact velocities, the foam type has the best performance in energy absorption. Compared with unfilled structures, at an impact energy (IE) of ۱۴ J, the peak load of STF-filled structures decreases by ۱۶.۴۵% and ۷۲.۹۶% for elastomer-based and foam-based grid boxes, respectively. Also, at an impact energy of ۵۶ J, the elastomer-based grid box keeps its contribution in peak load reduction, while the foam-based one loses its efficiency.

کلیدواژه ها:

Shear thickening fluids (STFs) ، Hyperelastic materials ، Energy absorption ، Fluid-solid interaction (FSI)