US 11,738,515 B2
Systems and methods for generating a molecular dynamic graded lattice structure and their application to additive manufacturing
Seokpum Kim, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Ahmed Arabi Hassen, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Lonnie J. Love, Oak Ridge, TN (US); and Vlastimil Kunc, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Assigned to UT-Battelle, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed by UT Battelle, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/545,159.
Application 17/545,159 is a continuation of application No. 17/333,619, filed on May 28, 2021, granted, now 11,602,898.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/032,038, filed on May 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0143918 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/386 (2017.01); B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/386 (2017.08) [B29C 64/118 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for fabricating an article, the article configured to experience, during operation of the article, a physical field having a non-uniform intensity over the extent of the article, the method comprising:
generating, by a computer system, representations of layers of the article, each layer comprising an infill portion, wherein a representation of each layer's infill portion comprises a corresponding molecular dynamically generated lattice having cells, wherein generating the molecular dynamically generated lattice for a corresponding layer's infill portion comprises:
(i) obtaining an initial node distribution over the extent of the infill portion of the layer,
(ii) force balancing the spacing between the nodes in the initial node distribution toward a force balance equilibrium to generate a force balanced node distribution, wherein the force balance equilibrium is adjusted based on the physical field having the non-uniform intensity,
(iii) computing an intermediate lattice having triangular cells, such that vertices of a triangular cell correspond to three adjacent nodes of the force balanced node distribution, and
(iv) computing the molecular dynamically generated lattice having polygonal cells with 4 to 8 walls, such that sides of a polygonal cell correspond to segments between centers of adjacent triangles of the intermediate lattice: and
for each layer of the article, printing, by an additive manufacturing printer in communication with the computer system, a respective structure embodying the corresponding molecular dynamically generated lattice in the layer's infill portion.