Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BOHEME (Bio-Inspired Hierarchical MetaMaterials)
Período documentado: 2021-07-01 hasta 2022-12-31
From the perspective of basic science, the project aims to explore biological structural materials for evidence of this, to investigate novel optimised bio inspired designs (e.g. porous hierarchical structures spanning various length scales,cochlea-inspired spirals that select sound frequencies, spider web-inspired frames that attenuate vibrations) using state-of-the-art analytical and numerical approaches, to design and manufacture vibrationally effective structures, and to experimentally verify their performance over wide frequency ranges.
From the point of view of applications, BOHEME will address technological sectors over various wavelength scales, from low-frequency vibration control (such as vibrations generated by trains), to noise abatement (e.g. in MRI scanners), to nondestructive testing using “acoustic lenses”, to resonating floater arrays to protect against coastal erosion from ocean waves. Industrial partners will provide know-how for proof of principle experiments and possible prototypes. The project is ambitious and inherently multidisciplinary, involving research in biology, mathematics, physics, materials science, structural and ocean engineering, drawing from scientific excellence of the partners. It involves theoretical, numerical and experimental aspects, and is a high-impact endeavour, from which basic science, EU industry and society can benefit.
Simultaneously, mathematical and numerical tools have been developed to allow faster and more accurate simulations to aid designs. These include spectral methods for waveguide modes and infinite media, multiple scattering techniques and asymptotic methods, homogeneization procedures and advanced meshing approaches.
These methods have been applied to design and simulate innovative architectures, drawing inspiration from biological systems, with optimized structures and enhanced functionalities. For example, we have conceived tunable metamaterials using light stimuli, which can be used as mechanical filters and switches; designed hierarchical porous structures with extreme auxetic behaviour and tunable topological wave guiding behaviour; exploited spider-web architectures to devise hierarchical frame structures with multiple band gap ranges; imitated the structure of trabecular bone to obtain lightweight and strong metamaterials offering superior vibration attenuation capacities; experimentally validated rainbow-based metamaterials with an application in energy harvesting.
Results have led to about 80 publications in international journals, including Nature Communications and Advanced Functional Materials, and disseminated in various seminars and presentations. A patent application has already been submitted by one of the industrial partners on a related application.