ABSTRACT

In this study, mechanical behavior of a lattice structure inspired by Venus’ Flower Basket, a deep sea sponge, is investigated. To this end, the lattice structure is first designed considering the structural elements constituting the skeleton of the sponge. Then, a finite element model is generated by using beam elements. Critical buckling load of the preliminary design is determined by conducting linear buckling analysis (eigenvalue buckling analysis) assuming the structure is under pressure both in longitudinal and circumferential directions. Next, to improve the critical buckling load of the preliminary design, a surface response optimization-based algorithm is utilized to obtain optimum geometric parameters. It is shown that the critical buckling load can be improved while total volume of the structure is reduced with the adapted optimization algorithm.