A numerical investigation of the hypervelocity impact resistance of triply periodic minimal surface structures

As the orbital debris population grows, the likelihood for a hypervelocity impact on critical spacecraft becomes increasingly dire, encouraging the further development of shielding technology. Advances in additive manufacturing over the past decade have permitted the manufacture of complex structures at a large scale. Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures have proved beneficial at tasks such as fluid flow and heat transfer, and show promise in withstanding mechanical loading. Here, the potential application of TPMS as space shielding is evaluated for velocities ranging from 1−7 km/s using hydrocode simulations. TPMS performance will be evaluated in comparison to a few conventional alternatives.