Proceedings of the XMO Industrial Seminar 2026: Excellence in Manufacturing and Operations
Bioinspired Lightweight Lattices for Thermal Management and Structural Stiffness: A Simulation Study
Keywords
Biologically inspired design; Topology Optimization; Lattice Structures in Additive manufacturing (AM)
Tracks
MULTIFUNCTIONAL AND RESILIENT DESIGNS FOR MANUFACTURING
DOI
10.5703/1288284318693
Abstract
The evolution of lightweight biological structures for thermal regulation and structural stiffness, driven by multifunctionality requirements and ecological environments, provides a valuable blueprint for the development of lattice structures capable of both heat dissipation and mass reduction. Biological systems such as butterfly wing scales, weevil exoskeleton, toucan beak, pomelo peel, and other hierarchical porous morphologies exhibit highly optimized geometries that balance thermal management, mechanical performance, and lightweighting. Engineering lattice structures, including both strut-based and surface-based lattice topologies, offer analogous design strategies that can replicate these biological functionalities while remaining tailorable to not only the functionality and application-specific requirements but also manufacturing constraints and material characteristics. Recent advancements in additive manufacturing enable the high-precision fabrication of such complex lattice geometries, making them increasingly feasible for engineering applications. This study uses the bioinspired design process to develop four lattice structures intended for thermal regulation and structural stiffness. The selected bioinspired design geometries are comparatively evaluated to investigate the thermal and mechanical performance of strut and surface lattice architectures. Transient thermal analysis and static compression loading tests are conducted to assess convective heat dissipation capabilities and identify lattice topologies that provide improved thermal management while maintaining lightweight structural characteristics.
Bioinspired Lightweight Lattices for Thermal Management and Structural Stiffness: A Simulation Study
The evolution of lightweight biological structures for thermal regulation and structural stiffness, driven by multifunctionality requirements and ecological environments, provides a valuable blueprint for the development of lattice structures capable of both heat dissipation and mass reduction. Biological systems such as butterfly wing scales, weevil exoskeleton, toucan beak, pomelo peel, and other hierarchical porous morphologies exhibit highly optimized geometries that balance thermal management, mechanical performance, and lightweighting. Engineering lattice structures, including both strut-based and surface-based lattice topologies, offer analogous design strategies that can replicate these biological functionalities while remaining tailorable to not only the functionality and application-specific requirements but also manufacturing constraints and material characteristics. Recent advancements in additive manufacturing enable the high-precision fabrication of such complex lattice geometries, making them increasingly feasible for engineering applications. This study uses the bioinspired design process to develop four lattice structures intended for thermal regulation and structural stiffness. The selected bioinspired design geometries are comparatively evaluated to investigate the thermal and mechanical performance of strut and surface lattice architectures. Transient thermal analysis and static compression loading tests are conducted to assess convective heat dissipation capabilities and identify lattice topologies that provide improved thermal management while maintaining lightweight structural characteristics.