Cellular Architecture Optimization for Tailored Frequency Response in Missile Components and Structures (MSC P 4273)

Guidance and navigation components within missile systems are vulnerable to performance degradation as a result of vibrations generated by neighboring components. Conventional methods to alleviate this degradation include installing passive vibration-damping materials or adding additional material to shift resonance frequencies. Both of these approaches add parasitic weight to the system. With recent advances in additive manufacturing technologies, components and structures that can benefit from cellular design and optimization are now being realized. Materials Sciences Corporation (MSC) will team with the University of Pittsburgh (PITT) to develop analysis tools for determining cellular architectures, frequency based topology optimization codes that make use of cellular architectures, and integrated design tools to develop direct-to-build cellular structures. The overall objective of the Phase II effort will be to verify, validate, and deliver the proposed multi-scale cellular optimization tool to the U.S. Army to support product development efforts.