Research progress on modeling methods for closed-cell foam materials

Closed-cell foam materials are structural-functional integrated materials with the combined properties of lightweight, high specific strength, high energy absorption, vibration and thermal isolation. A large number of research studies have been performed on the properties and mechanisms of closed-cell foam materials by experiments and numerical simulations. As an auxiliary research method, numerical simulation can offer a solution to the issues in experiment research, such as structural variation between samples, high costs of experiment. Modeling is the core issue in the numerical research of closed-cell foam materials, because the credibility of numerical results relies heavily on a reasonable simulation model. In this paper, we comprehensively analyze the domestic and international literature about the modelling of closed-cell foam materials. The existing foam models in literature are summarized and classified into several types, including continuous models, two-dimensional porous models, three-dimensional periodic foam models, three-dimensional reconstruction models, and three-dimensional random foam models. The advantages, disadvantages and applicable scopes of each type of modeling methods are then analyzed thoroughly. The future trends in the modeling method are also discussed. Achieving a balance between cost and simulation accuracy in the modeling of foam model is still a critical task in the numerical research of closed-cell foam materials. It is a feasible way to integrate machine learning algorithms into simulation modeling.