Granular metamaterial design for extreme pressure differentials
Abstract
Current atmospheric diving suits are bulky and limit a divers natural mechanics of motion. Ambient pressure diving suits allow for much greater diver maneuverability but do not protect the wearer from the physiological problems associated with deep dives. Therefore, new materials that are flexible but resistant to pressure gradients are needed to develop next-generation atmospheric diving suits. We propose a one-year seed effort to prove the concept of a novel class of granular metamaterials that are able to withstand extremely large compressive stresses, but are flexible to other applied deformations. We will develop granular metamaterials that combine three elements: truss-inspired structures with embedded grains, selective grain softening, and granular shear jamming. This approach exploits the fact that granular media can be jammed in response to one type of load but remain compliant under other types of loads, and will enable structural tunabilityover large pressure gradients. The proposed effort includes simulations and experiments, leveraging the PIs collective expertise in modeling deformable structures and synthesizing functional particles, to quantify and begin optimization of the flexibility of the granular metamaterial while retaining the compressive strength.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 20, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012640
Entities
People
- Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Yale University