Design and Fabrication of Artificial Brain Coral : Evolution Principle, Turbulent Hydrodynamics and Matter Interchange

This paper presents a systematic design of man-made brain corals via the methodology of solid isotropic material with penalization. The matter interchange resistance was minimized in the projected surface domain under volume and length constraints from the perspective of topological optimization. The optimized structures are akin to natural corals with intricate shapes, such as Platygyra , Goniastrea and Lobophyllia . In addition, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations show that these human-made corals can provide shelter to protect polyps from ocean currents. To meet the requirements of batch production, an ultraviolet (UV)-curable resin model was first fabricated using the digital light processing (DLP) technique. Then, a silica gel reverse mold was prepared for casting models in cement and calcium carbonate. The mixture ratio was determined based on tests of workability and compressive strength. Ultimately, an acid corrosion test was conducted to verify the matter interchange capability of the optimized morphology. The results show that the brain folds contribute to the circulation of seawater, maintaining the concentration of nutrients and hindering the deposition of harmful substances. This research has established a new and effective methodology focuses on the creation of artificial brain corals, which is important for environmental restoration