A Novel Thin‐Walled Tube Mimicking the Attributes of Bamboo Vascular Bundles: Crashworthiness Analysis and Optimization

ABSTRACT To enhance the energy absorption characteristics of thin‐walled structures, this paper proposes a novel bamboo‐inspired multi‐cell thin‐walled tube (TWT) with hierarchical design (named BIT), based on the geometric features and distribution patterns of bamboo vascular bundles. The axial crashworthiness of this structure is analyzed using the finite element method. Comparative analyses with two traditional and two bamboo‐inspired TWTs counterparts reveal that the proposed BIT exhibits superior specific energy absorption ( SEA ), compression force efficiency ( CFE ), and mean crushing force ( MCF ). Furthermore, the effects of the thicknesses of vascular bundle‐mimicking cells ( t 0 ) and the inner wall ( t 4 ) on the BIT's crashworthiness are revealed. Moreover, to minimize the initial peak force ( IPF ) and maximize the SEA , by taking t and t 4 as design variables, the non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA‐II) is employed to derive the structure's Pareto optimal front, according to which the optimal structural dimensions can be determined. This work may provide a reference for the design and optimization of more advanced bionic TWTs.