Smart structures analisys: application to sandwich structures

Abstract

Control of the surface shape is one of the most interesting applications of smart materials into morphing structures. This Undergraduate Thesis Project aims the determination of the smart materials capabilities to control beam deformations. Different analyses are performed to a sandwich beam with piezoelectric materials embedded within it in order to quantify the contribution to the beam de ections of the response of the piezoelectric actuators to the presence of an electric field in the environment. The temperature difference existing in the beam surroundings is also studied to analyze if it affects the piezoelectric capability to modify the beam response. The analytic model for predicting beam deformations, accounting with the contribution of the piezoelectric actuator is based on the Kirchhoff beam model, combined with the Classical Laminated Plate Theory for composite laminae behavior description applied to sandwich beams.