Design of Quasi-Zero-Stiffness Metamaterials Featuring Adjustable Thermal Expansion

To address the limitations of conventional metamaterials in thermo-mechanical coupling environments, this study proposes a multifunctional metamaterial structure through material selection and structural optimization, demonstrating stable vibration isolation performance under thermal fluctuations. The thermal deformation mechanisms and zero thermal expansion (ZTE) behavior of curved-beam unit cell are systematically examined through the chained beam constraint model (CBCM). A novel dual-zero metamaterial featuring both quasi-zero-stiffness (QZS) and ZTE characteristics is developed using curved-beam unit cell design. A parametric analysis, through finite element modeling, systematically investigated the effects of geometric parameters and material properties on the thermal expansion deformation and mechanical responses in the curved-beam unit cell structure. Furthermore, cylindrical metamaterials featuring dual-zero properties were engineered, and their deformation control mechanisms and vibration characteristic evolution across a broad temperature range were systematically studied. The simulation results indicate that while the Al–Al structure exhibits a significant resonance peak shift of up to 64.32% at 200 °C, the Al–Steel zero-stiffness design restricts this shift to only 7.72%. Furthermore, the Steel–Invar configuration demonstrates exceptional vibrational stability, with its center frequency shifting marginally from 5.58 Hz to 5.61 Hz at 200 °C. This methodology presents a viable solution for engineering metamaterials in extreme-temperature environments.