Multi-functional topology optimization ofVictoria cruzianaveins

Abstract

The growth and development of biological tissues and organs strongly depend on the requirements of their multiple functions. Plant veins yield efficient nutrient transport and withstand various external loads. Victoria cruziana , a tropical species of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies, has evolved a network of three-dimensional and rugged veins, which yields a superior load-bearing capacity. However, it remains elusive how biological and mechanical factors affect their unique vein layout. In this paper, we propose a multi-functional and large-scale topology optimization method to investigate the morphomechanics of Victoria cruziana veins, which optimizes both the structural stiffness and nutrient transport efficiency. Our results suggest that increasing the branching order of radial veins improves the efficiency of nutrient delivery, and the gradient variation of circumferential vein sizes significantly contributes to the stiffness of the leaf. In the present method, we also consider the optimization of the wall thickness and the maximum layout distance of circumferential veins. Furthermore, biomimetic leaves are fabricated by using the three-dimensional printing technique to verify our theoretical findings. This work not only gains insights into the morphomechanics of Victoria cruziana veins, but also helps the design of, for example, rib-reinforced shells, slabs and dome skeletons.

Tree Reconstruction Using Topology Optimisation

“…Typically it is used to generate stiff, lightweight structures, such as bridges and mounting brackets. However, it has been applied to a vast range of problems across numerous physical domains, including thermal conductivity problems (heat sinks) [24], compliant mechanisms [25][26][27], soft robots [28,29], electrothermal actuators [30], fluidic actuators [31], fluidic mixers [32], and biomimetic design [33]. Regardless of application, the design space is parameterised by a set of elements, loads, and boundary conditions which enables their governing physical equations to be evaluated using a finite element solver.…”