Research on the axial compression mechanical behavior of thin-walled foam-filled components with metal/CFRP composite and origami patterns

The combination of metals and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites to fabricate thin-walled tubes has excellent energy absorption potential. Introducing origami patterns and filling with polyurethane foam can affect the deformation process of the composite tube, significantly improving its energy absorption performance. This study investigates the energy absorption characteristics of CFRP/metal composite origami thin-walled filled components under quasi-static axial loads through experiments and numerical simulations. First, the energy absorption performance of metal thin-walled tubes and composite thin-walled tubes is analyzed, and the effect of foam filling on their energy absorption performance is examined. It is found that CFRP/metal composite tubes exhibit significant improvement in energy absorption compared to individual metal or CFRP tubes. Additionally, the incorporation of origami patterns and polyurethane foam enhances the deformation stability of the composite tube and improves its energy absorption characteristics. Subsequently, the effects of design parameters, such as the fiber winding angle of the CFRP tube, the ratio of axial (10°) to circumferential (90°) winding angles, the dihedral angle of the metal tube pattern, and the number of pattern layers, on the energy absorption characteristics of the composite tube are studied in detail. The results show that with an increase in fiber winding angle and the ratio of axial (10°) to circumferential (90°) winding angles, the load fluctuations of the composite tube decrease, and stable progressive fracture deformation occurs, improving the energy absorption characteristics. When the dihedral angle of the metal tube origami pattern is 150° and the number of layers is 5, the composite energy absorption effect is optimal.