Additively Manufactured Bionic Cellular Metamaterials with Controllable Thermal Conductivity-Mathematical Models and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thermodynamics
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Additive manufacturing enables bio-inspired cellular metamaterials for thermal management.
• Controlling thermal transport through architecture offers advantages over material properties.
• Natural cellular systems provide blueprints for efficient transport via optimized structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate steady-state heat transfer in diverse open-cell lattice metamaterials.
• Develop and validate a theoretical model for predicting thermal conductivity.
• Demonstrate the potential of biomimetic design for programmable thermal materials.

Main Methods:

• Manufactured 20 lattice metamaterial specimens using additive manufacturing.
• Employed homogenization theory and representative volume element analysis for modeling.
• Conducted experimental validation of the theoretical model.

Main Results:

• The theoretical model accurately predicted thermal conductivity for highly porous (0.95 porosity) open-cell lattice structures.
• Experimental results confirmed the model's predictions.
• Demonstrated that architecture, not just material, dictates thermal transport.

Conclusions:

• Biomimetic cellular design is effective for developing advanced thermal management materials.
• Homogenization models are reliable for predicting thermal properties of these metamaterials.
• Programmable thermal transport is achievable through architectural control.