Evolutionary Light Structure Engineering

Evolutionary Light
Structure Engineering
“
The
outstanding
achievements
of nature
inspire us
“
Evolutionary Light Structure Engineering
ELiSE
Nature serves us as source of inspiration. It is our basis for innovative
new product developments and future trends.
We transfer functionality, efficiency
and aesthetics of natural systems
into your product.
ELiSE makes superior lightweight solutions possible.
Biological best practice:
Millions of years
in
of expertise
lightweight design
Life in the ocean is characterized
by a continuous struggle for survival. For millions of years, planktonic organisms such as diatoms
and radiolarians were hunted by
copepods. In the course of evolution, stable shells developed on
one side and strong jaws on the
other. Nevertheless, the shells had
to stay light in weight in order to
prevent the organisms from sinking into the deep sea. This is neccessary as sunlight is life-essential
for planktonic organisms.
We recognized the unique lightweight potential of these organisms. Now we use it within the
ELiSE-procedure to optimize your
products or construction parts.
Diatoms and radiolarians have a need for stable and
light shells to protect them against copepods.
Biological archetpyes
The outstanding performance of the construction method of the shells of planktonic organisms can be proven by crash tests (Hamm et al.
2003 - Nature 421). The glass-like shells (SiO2)
can carry a pressure of 800 tons per square meter. To depict this, a gully cover had to hold the
weight of 150 medium-class cars to be similarly stable as our biological archetypes. These highperformance structures are results of out-standing lightweight design. Despite of principles for
plane load-bearing structures or sandwiches,
edge reinforcements and multifunctional honeycomb structures can be found amongst others
within the design catalogue of these planktonic
organisms. As nature has to solve the same physical challenges as technical systems, the construction methods of the tiny organisms can be
transferred to technique with the help of biomimetics. To utilize the construction methods of
our biological archetypes, we have access to one of the biggest databases of planktonic organisms
of this kind worldwide.
Using the enormous
variety of species
and the structures
of their shells,
we find the
best solutions
for your lightweight product.
Microscopic image of a diatom during a crash test
Radiolarian on a
scale of 200:1
5
The ELiSE-procedure:
From
nature
to the
final product
Explained using the examplary development of an Offshore-foundation
Screening
When the load cases of your
product are analyzed, several adequate biological archetypes are chosen. The access to a
huge database of platonic organisms is helpful in this step.
The database is carefully scanned for structures with functional similarity.
Analysis
What principles are responsible for the functionality of
the biological archetype? The
selected archetypes are analyzed considering known
load cases and using Computer Aided Engineering tools.
High-performance structures
are chosen for the next step.
Abstraction
The construction methods of
the archetypes are transferred
to abstracted models. The task
is to simplify the structure without losing the functionality.
These pre-optimized structures
are used for your lightweight
product within the next steps
of the ELiSE-procedure.
ELiSE-procedure
Optimization
Your product
Successful structures from nature are used to improve your
products. Shells or in other
words the armored protections of planktonic organisms
are our archetypes. During
evolution these parts became
highly efficient and multifunctional lightweight structures.
ELiSE revolutionizes
lightweight design
The models elaborated before
are the basis for further optimization. In this way, the construction method is adapted to your
needs and all necessary requirements are met. Consequently, material is efficiently used
and only placed where it is really needed.
The analysis of several possible solutions leads to different,
optimized approaches for
your product. Finally, the most
promising approach with reference to lightweight design,
manufacturability and economic aspects is chosen for the
final design.
The ELiSE-procedure transfers
principles of natural lightweight
structures to your product.
Load cases and technical requirements are taken into account.
Using pre-optimized structures,
outstanding results and shorter development times can be
achieved.
7
Our
services:
Innovative
product design
Service
We support you during the development and
optimization of your innovative products.
With the modular ELiSE-procedure, we offer various skills depending on
your special needs.
product development with multifunctional lightweight design
database with over 90,000 biological structures
improvement of the innovative performance using biomimetics
solutions generated in multidisciplinary teams
construction with CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)
topology- und topography optimization
parametric optimization with evolutionary algorithms
crash- and multi-body-simulations
project management and supervision of mass production
product design
3D-reconstructions and scanning electron microscopy
preparation of results for marketing
research projects / fundamental research
9
Success
through
diversity
Team
To support you in an optimal way, our interdisciplinary team with longtime project experience is
responsible for the ELiSE-procedure. Engineers
from different industries, biologists as well as graduates from the field of biomimetics work hand
in hand.
The diversity of academic backgrounds is the key
to our success. A steady transfer of knowledge
between the different areas of expertise generates new ideas. This is the reason why we are able
to meet your requirements with tailor-made solutions. Using the ELiSE-procedure, your unique
selling proposition will be superior compared to
your competitors.
We are experts in the field of
lightweight design. We develop
lightweight solutions in all fields of
industry using our patented ELiSEprocedure. Amongst other fields
we work in these industrial sectors:
automotive
renewable energy
construction and mechanical en-
gineering sector
shipbuilding industry
rail vehicles and utility vehicles
aerospace industry
medical engineering
building industry
consumer goods
architecture
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Your advantages
using
ELiSE
Your advantages
Using the ELiSE-procedure,
we make your products lighter. However, lightweight design must not conflict with
other requirements. Therefore, we ensure that you receive more than just lightweight
design when making use of
our ELiSE-procedure.
We want you to profit from
our expertise in many ways.
Weight reductions of more
than 50% are possible depending on the product and
were already achieved in cooperation with our satisfied customers. In addition to
that, your solutions are characterized by these aspects:
economic lightweight design and weight reduction through the use of pre-optimized structures from nature
covering of target costs and performance by using different optimization approaches
enabling multifunctionality through the integration of several properties
quick development times with a large database of biological archetypes
unique selling point with the use of biomimetical methods
Aesthetic appealing designs
13
Optimal lightweight design
by diversity
Using ELiSE you And
start here here.
And of course
here!
Saving time with pre-optimized
structures
The biological archetypes are the results
of millions of years of evolution. Therefore, these structures give us a head start
when it comes to the optimization of
your product. In contrast to conventional optimization techniques, we complete
the optimization process faster.
degree of opimization
Looking for an optimal lightweight structure, more than one solution can be
found. The original structure which is the
basis for further optimization determines
whether you just reach a local optimum
or the global optimum. For this reason,
we pick several different structures from
a database with over 90,000 entries.
conventional
optimization
development time
Parallel optimization approach
By analyzing different optimization scenarios, we are able to find the lightweight solution which meets your requirements. Consequently, a perfect balance between weight
reduction, producibility and production costs can be achieved.
Your advantages
Biomimetics as a unique
selling point
Advantages with multifunctionality
Sustainability by
nature
Being inspired by nature, our
solutions are distinguishable
from the status quo. We support you in developing a marketing strategy for your new
product.
Lightweight design is not the
only characteristic of an organism in nature. Your product
also has to meet several requirements at the same time. Nature combines different functions in one design and so do
we by taking your multifunctional needs into account when
using the ELiSE-procedure: safety, efficiency, comfort.
The reduction of weight always
leads to use of less resources.
Nevertheless, there are even
more pragmatic reasons for
thinking about saving resources:
for example, the reduction of
CO2-emissions in the automotive sector is regulated by law
within the next decades. By using
lightweight design, you can be
sure that you will still meet all
these regulations in the future
and will be able to distribute
energy-efficient products.
The CO2-emissions of cars in Germany have to be lower than 95 g/km by the year of 2025 as regulated
by the government.
15
Your
partner
for
multifunctional
lightweight design
References
Wind energy
48%
weight
reduction
Offshore-foundation
Rough conditions at sea are the reason why
stable offshore-foundations for wind turbines are needed. In cooperation with Weserwind and RLE International, the ELiSE-procedure was used to develop a stable and at
the same time light offshore-foundation. The
weight was reduced from 770 tons to 400
tons. Additionally, the producibility was simplified by using standard pipe elements.
17
YACHTDESIGN & ENGINEERING
Yacht-Engineering
&
In cooperation with the famous
yacht designer judel/vrolijk & co,
the use of the ELiSE-procedure
was analyzed. The development
of radically optimized lightweight structures for the hulls
of racing yachts was the aim of
this study.
This research project was
sponsored by ERDF and the
state of Bremen, Germany.
Lightweight pavilion
The lightweight pavilion designed and
manufactured in cooperation with the
architects Julia & Göran Pohl combines
functionality with an aesthetic outwards
appearance.
With a wall thickness of only 4 millimeter and a fractal structure developed
using the ELiSE-procedure, all loads including wind loads and local stresses
are absorbed without difficulty.
References
Vorwerk Kobold VK 140
Within a project ELiSE was used to analyze the lightweight
potential for a famous German producer of household
aids. In a detailed analysis of a vacuum cleaner, the potential for weight reduction of a component of the housing
was identified.
Medical products
The final product benefits from an improved material
balance. Not only the use of material during the manufacturing process, but also the handling of the final product
benefit from the weight reduction.
Breathable support bandage
After bone fractures affected extremities
have to be immobilized, which leads to handicaps of the patients. Therefore, a biomimetic support bandage with enhanced comfort
was developed. This was made possible by
reducing weight and improving the breathability of the new product. Fractal honeycomb
structures which are found in the shells of
different planktonic organisms are responsible for excellent stiffness, a reduced weight
and good breathability at the same time.
40%
weight
reduction
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Automotive
Head rest
40%
weight
reduction
Efficient lightweight design becomes
more and more important in the automotive industry. In cooperation
with RLE International, a biomimetic
head rest was developed which saves
material by having a reduced weight
of approximately 40%.
Rim
20%
weight
reduction
Safety relevant parts as rims have to
be designed with a focus on reliability. The biomimetic rim is characterized
by an outstanding transfer of forces in
the region between boss and tire. The
constructional principle of radial and
concentric elements, which are reinforced by short middle parts in the
outer region of the rim, is the basis
for a homogenous stress distribution.
References
Crash-relevant parts
In cooperation with famous OEMs, innovative parts for a side crash were developed.
Based on crash mechanisms used in nature, new design principles were transferred and
weight was reduced.
Car body: B-pillar
30%
weight
reduction
The car body accounts for approximately
25% of the whole mass of a car. The weight
of the B-pillar was reduced by 30% using
the ELiSE-procedure and considering producibility and the IIHS-crash-guidelines.
Structures of car seats
20%
weight
reduction
Car seats are responsible for the comfort. Using the ELiSE-procedure, several advantages become visible. Using fractal
structures, the weight can be reduced, vibrations can be damped and the breathability can be improved.
21
IMARE is sponsored by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the state of Bremen, Germany.
With ELiSE you use a technology originating from research, which started over 10 years ago at the famous Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine
Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. Despite
of the Alfred Wegener Institute as strong research partner, the ELiSE technology transfer
is supported by the IMARE GmbH - Institute
for Marine Resources. With a database of different planktonic organisms and new material,
which is collected by our research vessel Po-
larstern in all parts of the world, an exclusive
access to the archetypes of your product is
guaranteed. In this way, you can benefit from
our longtime experience in the field of the
analysis of biological structures, the source of
inspiration for your lightweight product.
We are looking forward to present to you
the ELiSE-procedure and the possibilities of
optimization in person.
23
Dr. Christian Hamm
Bussestraße 27
27570 Bremerhaven, GER
www.elise3d.com
Email: christian.hamm@awi.de
Fon: +49 471 4831-1832
Fax: +49 471 4831- 2210