Vascularized Materials: Grids of Channels and Trees Matched Canopy to Canopy

This is a fundamental study of how to discover the optimal flow architecture to vascularize a volume so that fluid flow and function (e.g. cooling, sensing, maintenance, repair, healing) reaches every point of the material. The presentation is made by discussing flow architectures that deliver healing fluid to all the crack sites that may occur randomly through the material. Two concepts are explored. In the first, a grid of interconnected channels is built into the material, and is filled with pressurized healing fluid. When a crack forms, the pressure drops at the crack site and fluid flows from the grid into the crack. The objective is to discover the network configuration that is capable of delivering fluid to all the cracks the fastest. It is shown that the optimization of the ratio of channel diameters cuts in half the time of fluid delivery to the crack. In the second concept, one stream flows steadily through the material and bathes it volumetrically. The stream enters through one port, and distributes itself as a river delta through the volume. Later the stream reconstitutes itself as a river basin before exiting the volume through one point. This second concept is equivalent to matching two trees canopy to canopy. It is shown that the choice of tree-tree configuration has a decisive role on the global performance of the vascularized composite.