From design and structural optimization to experimental validation: Additively manufactured aerospace sandwich panels featuring various lattice core configurations
2026 4th Aerospace Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, SSDM 2026, California, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, 8 - 10 Haziran 2026, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
- Doi Numarası: 10.1115/ssdm2026-182836
- Basıldığı Şehir: California
- Basıldığı Ülke: Amerika Birleşik Devletleri
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Additively Manufactured Sandwich Panels, Functionally Graded Lattice Structures, Gibson Ashby Model, Homogenization-Based Topology Optimization, Modified SIMP
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Sandwich structures are widely used in aerospace applications due to their high stiffness-and strength-To-weight ratios. However, conventional manufacturing techniques restrict sandwich panels to uniform core designs, limiting tailored structural performance. In contrast, recent advances in additive manufacturing enable lattice cores with spatially varying density, creating new opportunities for structural optimization. This study presents a homogenization-based topology optimization (HMTO) framework for aerospace sandwich panels with functionally graded lattice cores. A modified SIMP formulation simultaneously optimizes lattice core relative density and a common uniform thickness for both face-sheets. BCC, Octet, Primitive, and Gyroid lattices are assessed to quantify topologydriven performance differences. The lattice core and face-sheets are treated as design domains, while solid insert regions for fastener integration remain fixed. Effective lattice properties are obtained through numerical homogenization using the Gibson Ashby model in combination with cubic polynomial fitting. A custom MATLAB framework couples the optimization scheme with the OptiStruct finite element solver and the MMA optimization algorithm to minimize structural compliance subject to fundamental natural frequency and mass constraints. Optimized designs are reconstructed in nTopology software via RBF interpolation and validated through finite element analysis and experimental modal testing of MJF-fabricated specimens. For all lattice topologies considered, results show up to 50% mass reduction, a substantial reduction in structural compliance, and 25 30% improvements in the fundamental natural frequency compared with the fully solid design.