An FFT-based approach for Bloch wave analysis: application to polycrystals

A method based on the Fast Fourier Transform is proposed to obtain the dispersion relation of acoustic waves in heterogeneous periodic media with arbitrary microstructures. The microstructure is explicitly considered using a voxelized Representative Volume Element (RVE). The dispersion diagram is obtained solving an eigenvalue problem for Bloch waves in Fourier space. To this aim, two linear operators representing stiffness and mass are defined through the use of differential operators in Fourier space. The smallest eigenvalues are obtained using the implicitly restarted Lanczos and the subspace iteration methods, and the required inverse of the stiffness operator is done using the conjugate gradient with a preconditioner. The method is used to study the propagation of acoustic waves in elastic polycrystals, showing the strong effect of crystal anistropy and polycrystaline texture on the propagation. It is shown that the method combines the simplicity of classical Fourier series analysis with the versatility of Finite Elements to account for complex geometries proving an efficient and general approach which allows the use of large RVEs in 3D.

The Korteweg–de Vries, Burgers and Whitham limits for a spatially periodic Boussinesq model

We are interested in the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV), Burgers and Whitham limits for a spatially periodic Boussinesq model with non-small contrast. We prove estimates of the relations between the KdV, Burgers and Whitham approximations and the true solutions of the original system that guarantee these amplitude equations make correct predictions about the dynamics of the spatially periodic Boussinesq model over their natural timescales. The proof is based on Bloch wave analysis and energy estimates and is the first justification result of the KdV, Burgers and Whitham approximations for a dispersive partial differential equation posed in a spatially periodic medium of non-small contrast.

Wave Directionality in Three-Dimensional Periodic Lattices

This work focuses on elastic wave propagation in three-dimensional (3D) low-density lattices and explores their wave directionality and energy flow characteristics. In particular, we examine the dynamic response of Kelvin foam, a simple-and framed-cubic lattice, as well as the octet lattice, spanning this way a range of average nodal connectivities and both stretching-and bending-dominated behavior. Bloch wave analysis on unit periodic cells is employed and frequency diagrams are constructed. Our results show that in the low relative-density regime analyzed here, only the framed-cubic lattice displays a complete bandgap in its frequency diagram. New representations of iso-frequency contours and group-velocity plots are introduced to further analyze dispersive behavior, wave directionality, and the presence of partial bandgaps in each lattice. Significant wave beaming is observed for the simple-cubic and octet lattices in the low frequency regime, while Kelvin foam exhibits a nearly isotropic behavior in low frequencies for the first propagating mode. Results of Bloch wave analysis are verified by explicit numerical simulations on finite size domains under a harmonic perturbation.

Design of Miura-Ori Patterns With Acoustic Bandgaps

We study the wave propagation behavior in Miura-ori patterns by using the Bloch-wave analysis framework. Our investigation focuses on acoustic bandgaps that act as stopping bands for wave propagation at certain frequencies in periodic solids or structures. We show that bandgaps can be created in two-dimensional periodic Miura-ori patterns by introducing material inhomogeneity. First, we perform Bloch-wave analysis of homogeneous Miura-ori patterns with finite panel rigidity and find that no bandgaps are present. We then introduce bandgaps by making the pattern non-uniform — by changing the mass and axial rigidity of origami panels of alternating unit cells. We discuss the dependence of the magnitude of the bandgap on the contrast between material properties. We find that higher magnitudes of bandgaps are possible by using higher contrast ratios (mass and stiffness). These observations indicate the potential of origami-based patterns to be useful as acoustic metamaterials for vibration control.

Elastocapillary coalescence of plates and pillars

When a fluid-immersed array of supported plates or pillars is dried, evaporation leads to the formation of menisci on the tips of the plates or pillars that bring them together to form complex patterns. Building on prior experimental observations, we use a combination of theory and computation to understand the nature of this instability and its evolution in both the two- and three-dimensional setting of the problem. For the case of plates, we explicitly derive the interaction torques based on the relevant physical parameters associated with pillar deformation, contact-line pinning/depinning and fluid volume changes. A Bloch-wave analysis for our periodic mechanical system captures the window of volumes where the two-plate eigenvalue characterizes the onset of the coalescence instability. We then study the evolution of these binary clusters and their eventual elastic arrest using numerical simulations that account for evaporative dynamics coupled to capillary coalescence. This explains both the formation of hierarchical clusters and the sensitive dependence of the final structures on initial perturbations, as seen in our experiments. We then generalize our analysis to treat the problem of pillar collapse in three dimensions, where the fluid domain is completely connected and the interface is a minimal surface with the uniform mean curvature. Our theory and simulations capture the salient features of experimental observations in a range of different situations and may thus be useful in controlling the ensuing patterns.