Abstract
This article investigates the modeling of macro fiber composite-actuated laminate plates with distributed actuator patches. The investigation details an analytical and finite element modeling, with experimental validation of the bending strain and deflection of an epoxy E-glass fiber composite laminate. An analytical approach is also developed to estimate the plate deflection from the experimental strain measurements. The analytical method uses direct integration of single dimensional plate bending moments obtained by strain-induced shear moments from the macro fiber composite actuators. Finite element analysis software was used with the composite laminate modeled in ANSYS ACP. The results from both analytical and numerical models show good agreement with the experimental results, with strain values agreeing within 20 ppm and the maximum difference in deflection not exceeding 0.1 mm between models. Finally, an application of the analytical model for developing morphing aerofoil designs is demonstrated.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 525-549 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 16 Dec 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2020 |
Keywords
- Macro fiber composite
- composite laminate
- finite element analysis
- morphing aerofoil