STRUCTURAL MODIFICATION OF SIMPLY-SUPPORTED LAMINATED PLATES USING EMBEDDED SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY FIBERS

Shape memory alloy (SMA) fibers, and in particular Nitinol fibers, have been embedded in advanced composite materials to demonstrate numerous structural control/modification concepts. A large number of control concepts have been postulated, formulated and demonstrated by using the unique control parameters available from Nitinol fiber actuators. Several new paradigms for structural design and control have resulted from the unusual behavior and mechanical properties of SMA. A brief introduction to SMA, laminated composite plates with embedded SMA fibers and a description of some of the available control parameters is presented. A linear analysis for a simply-supported symmetrically laminated composite plate embedded with SMA fibers using the Rayleigh-Ritz method is presented. Results of deflection, free vibration, buckling, and structural acoustic control are discussed. Two novel structural control techniques, active strain energy tuning (ASET) and active property tuning (APT), are highlighted and the authority of each technique demonstrated.