A Simulation-Based Study of Pattern Size Effects of 3D Periodic Cellular Structures

In the design of cellular structures using unit cell-based modeling, idealized structures with infinite dimensions and negligible boundary conditions are often assumed in order to simplify the analysis. However, such treatments also result in significant errors for the performance predictions of actual cellular components with finite dimensions. In this study, the pattern size effects resulting from finite-sized cellular designs were investigated systematically for various cellular designs. Two types of size effects, namely, lateral and along-stress size effects, were defined and investigated using simulation-based studies. It was found that different cellular designs exhibit significantly different size effects, which are also dependent on factors including Poisson’s ratio, structural symmetry, and the unit cell dimensional aspect ratio. The coupling effect between the two size effects was also discussed. This study provides a more systematic understanding of the size effects of cellular structures that can be used to guide future designs.