A refined analytical model for studying the effect of the relative density on the homogenised elastic constants of a honeycomb cell structure

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the relative density and geometric parameters on the homogenised in-plane elasticity modulus of a cellular honeycomb structure using analytical and numerical approaches. Design/methodology/approach In this work, the mechanical behaviour of a new design of the honeycomb is analysed through a refined analytical model that is developed based on the energy theorems by considering the shearing and stretching effects in addition to bending. Findings By taking into account the various deformation mechanisms (MNT), the obtained results show that the values of elasticity modulus are the same for low relative densities, but the difference becomes remarkable for higher densities. Moreover, it is difficult to judge the effect of the relative density and anisotropy of the cellular structure on the values of the homogenised elasticity modulus without considering all the three deformation mechanisms in the analytical model. It is shown that conventional models overestimate the elasticity modulus, especially for high relative densities. Originality/value In this paper, a refined model that takes into account the three deformation mechanisms (MNT) is developed to predict the in-plane elasticity modulus of a honeycomb cellular material. It is shown that analytical models that describe the anisotropic behaviour of honeycomb cells can be improved by considering the three deformation mechanisms, which are bending, stretching, and shearing deformations.