A new concept for superior energy dissipation in hierarchical materials and structures

We propose a new conceptual approach to reach unattained dissipative properties based on the friction of slender concentric sliding columns. We begin by searching for the optimal topology in the simplest telescopic system of two concentric columns. Interestingly, we obtain that the optimal shape parameters are material independent and scale invariant. Based on a multiscale self-similar reconstruction, we end-up with a theoretical optimal fractal limit system whose cross section resembles the classical Sierpinski triangle. Our optimal construction is finally completed by considering the possibility of a complete plane tessellation. The direct comparison of the dissipation per unit volume delta with the material dissipation up to the elastic limit delta(el) shows a great advantage: delta similar to 2000 delta(el). Such result is already attained for a realistic case of three only scales of refinement leading almost (96%) the same dissipation of the fractal limit. We also show the possibility of easy recovering of the original configuration after dissipation and we believe that our schematic system can have interesting reliable applications in different technological fields. Interestingly, our multiscale dissipative mechanism is reminiscent of similar strategies observed in nature as a result of bioadaptation such as in the archetypical cases of bone, nacre and spider silk. Even though other phenomena such as inelastic behavior and full tridimensional optimization are surely important in such biological systems, we believe that the suggested dissipation mechanism and scale invariance properties can give insight also in the hierarchical structures observed in important biological examples.