Accordion-like metamaterials with tunable ultra-wide low-frequency band gaps

TL;DR

This paper introduces accordion-like elastic metamaterials with tunable, ultra-wide low-frequency band gaps achieved through tensegrity-inspired structures, combining analytical and numerical methods to demonstrate their wave attenuation capabilities.

Contribution

It presents a novel design of lightweight, tunable metamaterials that combine Bragg scattering and local resonance to achieve wide low-frequency band gaps, surpassing traditional limits.

Findings

Wide low-frequency band gaps achieved

Band gaps can be tuned via prestress levels

Structural damping increases band-gap width

Abstract

We study lightweight, elastic metamaterials consisting of tensegrity-inspired prisms, which present wide, low-frequency band gaps. For their realization, we alternate tensegrity elements with solid discs in periodic arrangements that we call "accordion-like" meta-structures. We show through analytical calculations and numerical simulations that these structures are characterized by low-frequency band gaps with strong uniform wave attenuation due to the coupling of Bragg scattering and local resonance mechanisms. This coupling helps to overcome the inherent limit of a narrow band-gap width for conventional locally-resonant metamaterials and to extend the wave attenuation to wider frequency ranges. Moreover, the band gaps can be further increased, provided a minimum structural damping is present, and tuned to desired frequencies by changing the applied prestress levels in the tensegrity structure. Results are corroborated by parametric studies showing that the band-gap frequencies are preserved for wide variations of geometric and material structural properties.