On exploiting the architecture of annual ring growth for developing a new class of bio-inspired composites

Inspired by several biological structures available in nature, bio-inspired composite structures are evidenced to exhibit a noteworthy enhancement in various mechanical and multi-physical performances as compared to conventional structures. This article proposes to exploit the architecture of annual ring growth of the stems of trees for developing a new class of bio-inspired composites with enhanced static and dynamic performances, including deflections, stresses, strain energy, and vibration. Concentric circular annual-ring geometries are considered where each layer of concentric circular fibers is analogous to the growth per annum of trees. The annual rings are modeled in a finite element-based computational framework by idealizing each layer as a composite of graphite fibers and epoxy matrix under different boundary conditions. The ratio of deflection to weight and frequency to weight of bio-inspired and traditional composites are compared by considering different parameters such as the number of annual rings, layers, and supporting stiffeners. The numerical results reveal that the proposed bio-inspired composites can enhance and modulate the static and dynamic properties to a significant extent, opening new design pathways for developing high-performance fiber network composites.