Designing optimally slender origami-inspired tubular structures for enhanced energy absorption
Chenhao Lu, Zerui Shao, Yao Chen, Jian Feng, Pooya Sareh
Abstract
Origami-inspired thin-walled structures are increasingly applied in energy-absorption systems, particularly in automotive and aerospace engineering, due to their predictable collapse mechanisms and structural efficiency. However, as structural slenderness increases, the risk of buckling and sensitivity to imperfections also rise, potentially undermining performance. This study investigates the influence of slenderness ratio and initial geometric imperfections on the energy absorption and buckling resistance of two tubular origami configurations. The first structure, a cylindrical LS-DDC tube, is based on the least-symmetric crystallographic form of the developable double-corrugation (DDC) surface, while the second is a square bellow with diamond-like corners (SB-WDC), used for comparison. An equivalent moment of inertia is derived using nodal coordinates to define slenderness ratio ranges. Imperfection sensitivity is assessed theoretically through the reduced stiffness method (RSM) and simplified super folding element theory (SSFE). Quasi-static axial crushing simulations are conducted to validate the numerical models and evaluate energy-absorption performance. Results indicate that the LS-DDC structure offers significantly greater energy absorption and specific energy absorption than the SB-WDC counterpart. Finite element analyses further reveal that LS-DDC structures are generally less sensitive to initial geometric imperfections, as indicated by a higher average knockdown factor. These findings provide insights into optimal slenderness ratio ranges that balance energy-absorption capacity with imperfection sensitivity, thereby enhancing the mechanical performance and structural reliability of origami-inspired energy absorbers.