Multifunctional composites with intrinsic pressure actuation and prestress for morphing structures

作者：Chillara V S C; Headings L M; Dapino M J^*

来源：Composite Structures, 2016, 157: 265-274.

DOI：10.1016/j.compstruct.2016.08.044

• Morphing
• Prestressed
• Fiber-reinforced elastomer
• Active composite
• Pressure-actuated

Pressure-actuated elements can be embedded in morphing panels to achieve continuous control of shape and stiffness. This paper presents a multifunctional laminated composite that exhibits a curved geometry due to intrinsic mechanical prestress and a change in curvature when fluid (liquid or gas) contained in one of its laminae is pressurized. The composite is composed of amechanically-prestressed layer, a fluidic layer, and a constraining layer. The composite can be driven to any desired shape up to a flat limiting shape through modulation of pressure in its fluidic layer. An analytical model is developed to characterize the quasi-static response of such a composite to the applied fluid pressure for various laminate stacking sequences. A parametric study is also conducted to study the effects of the dimensions of the fluid channel and its spatial location. Composite beams are fabricated in the laminate configuration that requires the least actuation effort for a given change in curvature. Pneumatic pressure is applied to the composite in an open-loop setup and its response is measured using a motion capture system. The simulated response of the composite is in agreement with the measured response.

• 出版日期2016-12-1