General Electric Company
Components including structures having decoupled structural stiffness and mass density

Abstract:

A component is provided. The component includes a structure including a plurality of unit cells joined together, each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells having a mass density substantially similar to the mass density of every other unit cell of the plurality of unit cells. The plurality of unit cells includes a first portion of unit cells having a characteristic dimension and a first portion average stiffness, the characteristic dimension of the first portion of unit cells having a first value. The plurality of unit cells also includes a second portion of unit cells having the characteristic dimension and a second portion average stiffness, the characteristic dimension of the second portion of unit cells having a second value different from the first value, wherein the second portion average stiffness differs from the first portion average stiffness.