Numerical Calculation of Mechanical Properties of Honeycomb Core Using Homogenization Method
Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (SUT), Tehran, Iran
2
Satellite Research Institute, Iranian Space Research Center
Abstract
Honeycomb structures are widely used in the design of satellite structures and advanced industries due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent energy absorption capacity, and optimal mechanical behavior. A precise analysis of the mechanical properties of these structures is essential to ensure their optimal performance. One of the most critical aspects in estimating the mechanical properties of honeycomb structures is determining the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core. Various parameters, such as cell wall thickness, cell angle, cell height, and cell length, significantly influence the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core.
In this paper, various methods for determining the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core, including analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches, reviewed, and their advantages and disadvantages are extracted. Subsequently, using a homogenization method and considering a suitable representative volume element (RVE), an innovative numerical approach is proposed to calculate the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core, taking into account various geometric parameters. In this method, an advanced parametric code is developed in MATLAB, which allows for the definition of a suitable unit cell representative by considering different geometric parameters such as cell wall thickness, cell angle, cell height, and cell length. This code is capable of interfacing with finite element software such as ANSYS to apply periodic boundary conditions and in-plane/out-of-plane loadings for calculating mechanical properties, including elastic moduli, shear moduli, and Poisson’s ratios in different directions.
Using the proposed method, the influence of each geometric parameter in the design of the honeycomb core is investigated, and the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core under various geometric conditions are numerically calculated. Furthermore, to validate the accuracy of the proposed method, the results of this study are compared with the analytical Gibson-Ashby model. It is observed that the proposed method can estimate the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core with very high accuracy and significantly low computational cost.
Therefore, the proposed method, due to its ability to accurately model various geometric variables and its high precision in calculating mechanical properties, can serve as an effective tool for estimating the mechanical properties of honeycomb core structures
In this paper, various methods for determining the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core, including analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches, reviewed, and their advantages and disadvantages are extracted. Subsequently, using a homogenization method and considering a suitable representative volume element (RVE), an innovative numerical approach is proposed to calculate the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core, taking into account various geometric parameters. In this method, an advanced parametric code is developed in MATLAB, which allows for the definition of a suitable unit cell representative by considering different geometric parameters such as cell wall thickness, cell angle, cell height, and cell length. This code is capable of interfacing with finite element software such as ANSYS to apply periodic boundary conditions and in-plane/out-of-plane loadings for calculating mechanical properties, including elastic moduli, shear moduli, and Poisson’s ratios in different directions.
Using the proposed method, the influence of each geometric parameter in the design of the honeycomb core is investigated, and the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core under various geometric conditions are numerically calculated. Furthermore, to validate the accuracy of the proposed method, the results of this study are compared with the analytical Gibson-Ashby model. It is observed that the proposed method can estimate the mechanical properties of the honeycomb core with very high accuracy and significantly low computational cost.
Therefore, the proposed method, due to its ability to accurately model various geometric variables and its high precision in calculating mechanical properties, can serve as an effective tool for estimating the mechanical properties of honeycomb core structures
Keywords
Subjects
[1] F.-X. Irisarri, C. Julien, D. Bettebghor, F. Lavelle, Y. Guerin, K. Mathis, et al., “A general optimization strategy for composite sandwich structures,” Struct. Multidiscip. Optim., vol. 63, pp. 3027–3044, 2021.
[2] T. J. Hause, Sandwich Structures: Theory and Responses. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2021, pp. 1–3.
[3] B. J. Kim, “Development of a satellite structure with the sandwich T-joint,” Compos. Struct., vol. 92, no. 2, pp. 460–468, 2010.
[4] M. R. Hajighasemi, et al., “Design and manufacture of a smart macro-structure with changeable effective stiffness,” Int. J. Appl. Mech., vol. 12, no. 1, Art. no. 2050001, 2020.
[5] A. Aborehab, M. Kassem, A. F. Nemnem, M. Kamel, and H. Kamel, “Configuration design and modeling of an efficient small satellite structure,” Eng. Solid Mech., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 7–20, 2020.
[6] S. Chen and H. Huang, “Optimum design of a space frame and its application in satellite structure,” J. Spacecr. Rockets, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 1063–1066, 2010.
[7] Z. Daneshjoo, F. Shokri, ”Layout and Configuration Design of a Remote Sensing Satellite Subsystems”, J. Space Sci. Technol. Appl, vol 4 (1), p.:39-51, 2024.
[8] M. Walker and R. Smith, “A procedure to select the best material combinations and optimally design composite sandwich cylindrical shells for minimum mass,” Mater. Des., vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 160–165, 2006.
[9] Seyed Mohammad Navid Ghoreishi, Mohammad Aminjafari, Amir Sedaghati, Ehsan Zabihian,” Design, Analysis and Structural Test of Telecommunication Satellite Based on ECSS Standard”, Journal of Space Science, Technology and Applications, vol 3 (1), p.: 48-63, 2023.
[10] Y. Aminanda, B. Castanié, J. J. Barrau, and P. Thevenet, “Experimental analysis and modeling of the crushing of honeycomb cores,” Appl. Compos. Mater., vol. 12, pp. 213–227, 2005.
[11] G. Sun, D. Chen, X. Huo, G. Zheng, and Q. Li, “Experimental and numerical studies on indentation and perforation characteristics of honeycomb sandwich panels,” Compos. Struct., vol. 184, pp. 110–124, 2018.
[12] A. Montazeri, A. Hasani, and M. Safarabadi, “Bending performance and failure mechanism of 3D-printed hybrid geometry honeycombs with various Poisson’s ratios,” J. Sandwich Struct. Mater., vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 709–729, 2023.
[13] W. Ashraf, M. R. Ishak, M. Y. Zuhri, N. Yidris, and A. M. Ya’Acob, “Experimental investigation on the mechanical properties of a sandwich structure made of flax/glass hybrid composite facesheet and honeycomb core,” Int. J. Polym. Sci., vol. 2021, Art. no. 8855952, 2021.
[14] D. M. Wang, J. Wang, and Q. H. Liao, “Investigation of mechanical property for paper honeycomb sandwich composite under different temperature and relative humidity,” J. Reinf. Plast. Compos., vol. 32, no. 13, pp. 987–997, 2013.
[15] L. Shang, Y. Wu, Y. Fang, and Y. Li, “High-temperature mechanical properties of a vented Ti–6Al–4V honeycomb sandwich panel,” Materials, vol. 13, no. 13, Art. no. 3008, 2020.
[16] M. F. Ashby and L. J. Gibson, Cellular Solids: Structure and Properties, 2nd ed. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1997, pp. 175–231.
[17] Y. Liu, Z. Qin, and F. Chu, “A nonlinear repeated impact model of auxetic honeycomb structures considering geometric nonlinearity and tensile/compressive deformation,” J. Appl. Mech., vol. 90, no. 9, 2023.
[18] M. Zahed, R. Ardeshiri Jouneghani, and M. Safarabadi, “Reinforcement of 3D-printed re-entrant structures using additional supports under three-point bending: Experimental and numerical analyses,” Adv. Eng. Mater., vol. 26, no. 1, Art. no. 2301252, 2024.
[19] M. Khodaei, et al., “On the ballistic impact behavior of foam-filled honeycomb core/composite skin sandwich panels,” J. Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng., vol. 45, no. 5, Art. no. 244, 2023.
[20] A. Montazeri, A. Saeedi, E. Bahmanpour, and M. Safarabadi, “Heterogeneous hexagonal honeycombs with nature-inspired defect channels under in-plane crushing,” Mater. Lett., vol. 366, Art. no. 136564, 2024.
[21] S. Upreti, V. K. Singh, S. K. Kamal, A. Jain, and A. Dixit, “Modelling and analysis of honeycomb sandwich structure using finite element method,” Mater. Today Proc., vol. 25, pp. 620–625, 2020.
[22] X. Wu, H. Yu, L. Guo, L. Zhang,, X. Sun, and Z. Chai. Experimental and numerical investigation of static and fatigue behaviors of composites honeycomb sandwich structure. Composite Structures, 213, pp.165-172, 2019.
[23] E. C. Onyibo and B. Safaei, “Application of finite element analysis to honeycomb sandwich structures: A review,” Rep. Mech. Eng., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 192–209, 2022.
[24] A. Abbadi, Y. Koutsawa, A. Carmasol, S. Belouettar, and Z. Azari, “Experimental and numerical characterization of honeycomb sandwich composite panels,” Simul. Model. Pract. Theory, vol. 17, no. 10, pp. 1533–1547, 2009.
[25] Y. Wang, Y. Gan, H. Liu, L. Han, J. Wang, and K. Liu, “Surface quality improvement in machining an aluminum honeycomb by ice fixation,” Chin. J. Mech. Eng., vol. 33, Art. no. 1, pp. 1–8, 2020.
[26] R. Ciepielewski and D. Miedzińska, “A study of aluminum honeycomb structures under dynamic loading, with consideration given to the effects of air leakage,” Materials, vol. 16, no. 6, Art. no. 2211, 2023.
[27] S. Malek and L. Gibson, “Effective elastic properties of periodic hexagonal honeycombs,” Mech. Mater., vol. 91, pp. 226–240, 2015.
[28] N. Ahmed, N. Zafar, and H. Z. Janjua, “Homogenization of honeycomb core in sandwich structures: A review,” in Proc. 16th Int. Bhurban Conf. Appl. Sci. Technol. (IBCAST), Islamabad, Pakistan, 2019, pp. 402–407.
[29] A. Aborehab, M. Kamel, A. F. Nemnem, and M. Kassem, “Finite element model updating of a satellite honeycomb sandwich plate in structural dynamics,” Int. J. Space Struct., vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 105–116, 2021.
[30] T. Kanit, S. Forest, I. Galliet, V. Mounoury, and D. Jeulin, “Determination of the size of the representative volume element for random composites: Statistical and numerical approach,” Int. J. Solids Struct., vol. 40, nos. 13–14, pp. 3647–3679, 2003.
[31] L. J. Gibson and M. F. Ashby, “The mechanics of three-dimensional cellular materials,” Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A Math. Phys. Sci., vol. 382, no. 1782, pp. 43–59, 1982.
[32] S. Malek and L. Gibson, “Effective elastic properties of periodic hexagonal honeycombs,” Mech. Mater., vol. 91, pp. 226–240, 2015.
Volume 6, Issue 1
September 2026Pages 1-20
- Receive Date 23 January 2025
- Revise Date 08 March 2025
- Accept Date 13 July 2025