Investigations on the dynamic snap-through of MFC bonded self-resetting bistable laminates

verfasst von: P. M. Anilkumar, S. Scheffler, A. Haldar, E. L. Jansen, B. N. Rao, R. Rolfes
Abstract: Unsymmetric composite laminates having two stable equilibrium configurations have been studied extensively in the recent past due to their potential applications in morphing structures. Surface bonded Macro Fiber Composites (MFC) actuators have been considered as a viable solution to trigger the snap-through transition in bistable laminates. Although MFC bonded bistable laminates are widely used in morphing applications, they might require considerably high voltage inputs to achieve the required levels of actuation control during the shape transition. As a solution, other possible energy sources can be combined with active MFC patches to reduce the snap-through energy required from the single source of MFC actuation. In this work, we examine the dynamic behavior of bistable composite plates actuated using MFC actuators, where external vibration energy has been used to assist with the MFC-controlled actuation between stable states. A refined semi-analytical model based on the Rayleigh–Ritz formulation has been proposed, where the membrane energy and the bending energy are separately evaluated. Bending components are directly evaluated using the approximated transverse displacement functions, whereas the membrane components are evaluated separately by combining compatibility conditions and equilibrium equations. Results from the proposed semi-analytical framework are compared with a full geometrically nonlinear finite element framework and necessary experimental observations. The results show a significant reduction in the snap-through energy demand on MFC layers where external dynamic excitation assists the snap-through process. Additionally, a parametric study is performed using variable stiffness (VS) fiber orientation parameters, achieving bistable laminate-MFC configurations that lower snap-through requirements through the proposed morphing strategy. Thus, the study offers to aid a multi-efficient snap-through strategy for the morphing of multistable composite structures.
Organisationseinheit(en): Institut für Statik und Dynamik
Externe Organisation(en): Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
Banaras Hindu University
Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
Typ: Artikel
Journal: Composite structures
Band: 332
ISSN: 0263-8223
Publikationsdatum: 15.03.2024
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Keramische und Verbundwerkstoffe, Tief- und Ingenieurbau
Elektronische Version(en): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2024.117906 (Zugang: Geschlossen)

BibTeX

@article{2a01e149842a436d905ecf0e85ccf917,
title = "Investigations on the dynamic snap-through of MFC bonded self-resetting bistable laminates",
abstract = "Unsymmetric composite laminates having two stable equilibrium configurations have been studied extensively in the recent past due to their potential applications in morphing structures. Surface bonded Macro Fiber Composites (MFC) actuators have been considered as a viable solution to trigger the snap-through transition in bistable laminates. Although MFC bonded bistable laminates are widely used in morphing applications, they might require considerably high voltage inputs to achieve the required levels of actuation control during the shape transition. As a solution, other possible energy sources can be combined with active MFC patches to reduce the snap-through energy required from the single source of MFC actuation. In this work, we examine the dynamic behavior of bistable composite plates actuated using MFC actuators, where external vibration energy has been used to assist with the MFC-controlled actuation between stable states. A refined semi-analytical model based on the Rayleigh–Ritz formulation has been proposed, where the membrane energy and the bending energy are separately evaluated. Bending components are directly evaluated using the approximated transverse displacement functions, whereas the membrane components are evaluated separately by combining compatibility conditions and equilibrium equations. Results from the proposed semi-analytical framework are compared with a full geometrically nonlinear finite element framework and necessary experimental observations. The results show a significant reduction in the snap-through energy demand on MFC layers where external dynamic excitation assists the snap-through process. Additionally, a parametric study is performed using variable stiffness (VS) fiber orientation parameters, achieving bistable laminate-MFC configurations that lower snap-through requirements through the proposed morphing strategy. Thus, the study offers to aid a multi-efficient snap-through strategy for the morphing of multistable composite structures.",
keywords = "Bistable composites, Dynamic modeling, Finite element analysis, MFC actuators, Semi-analytical models",
author = "Anilkumar, {P. M.} and S. Scheffler and A. Haldar and Jansen, {E. L.} and Rao, {B. N.} and R. Rolfes",
note = "Funding Information: Authors would like to acknowledge Prime Minister{\textquoteright}s Research Fellowship (PMRF) scheme - India and the German Academic Exchange Service: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) , for the research grant on Doctoral Degrees during the course of first author{\textquoteright}s doctoral research. The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful comments and discussions with Dr.-Ing. Martin Brod, Mr. Oliver Dorn, and Mr. Jens Breyer during the preparation of the manuscript. ",
year = "2024",
month = mar,
day = "15",
doi = "10.1016/j.compstruct.2024.117906",
language = "English",
volume = "332",
journal = "Composite structures",
issn = "0263-8223",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",
}