High load carrying structures made from folded composite materials

Schlothauer, Arthur; Fasel, Urban; Keidel, Dominic; Ermanni, Paolo

doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112612

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Because the plate is thin (approximately 386 µm), it can be wrapped around and bonded to the pre-assembled, 3D printed frame, following a procedure similar to that used in Ref. 53 Additionally, four 8557-S1 MFC actuators are bonded to the upper surface, each aligned in pairs with the section's rib. The fully assembled demonstrator with the hihglighted components is shown in Figure 10.…”

Section: Manufacturing Of Demonstratormentioning

confidence: 99%

Aero-structural optimization and actuation analysis of a morphing wing section with embedded selectively stiff bistable elements

Rivas-Padilla

Boston

Boddapati

et al. 2023

Journal of Composite Materials

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Morphing wings provide a potential avenue to improve aerodynamic performance of aircraft operating at multiple design conditions. Nevertheless, morphing wing design is constrained by the mutually exclusive goals of high load-carrying capacity, low weight, and sufficient aerodynamic control authority via conformal shape adaptation. This trade-off can be addressed by exploiting the stiffness selectivity and shape “lock-in” properties enabled by using bistable beam-like elements within compliant structures. In this paper, we present an aero-structural optimization method to realize morphing structures with selective stiffness and shape “lock-in” capability from embedded bistable elements. We leverage an embeddable beam element with an invertible curved arch that provides stiffness selectivity and camber variation to the proposed rib geometry. Optimization objectives and constraints are designed to maximize the structure’s stiffness change and camber morphing “lock-in” effect when operating at two distinct flight conditions. Using the optimization results, we manufacture a wing section demonstrator with selective stiffness and “lock-in” morphing featuring two optimized ribs, a load-carrying skin made of a carbon reinforced laminate, Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) actuators, and a servo-controlled mechanism for switching the bistable elements’ states. The power and energy requirements of actuating and holding a target deflection are experimentally measured and compared. The results show that the bistable elements can assist in holding a target deflection at a reduced energy cost. Finally, we test the experimental demonstrator in a low-speed wind tunnel demonstrating the load carrying capability and lift variation achieved from switching states.

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Section: Manufacturing Of Demonstratormentioning

confidence: 99%

Aero-structural optimization and actuation analysis of a morphing wing section with embedded selectively stiff bistable elements

Rivas-Padilla

Boston

Boddapati

et al. 2023

Journal of Composite Materials

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“…Single-ply fabric reinforced polymer composites (SpFRPC) featuring high-variable material properties and good packaging characteristics have increasingly attracted research interest in deployable space structures, such as deployable booms, reflector antennas, morphing wings, and hinges. [1][2][3] The fabric reinforcements provide high-mechanical properties, and the temperature-related nature of polymers supplies excellent controllable characteristics. The glass transition temperature (T g ) is a significant temperature for SpFRPC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large deformation bending of single‐ply fabric reinforced polymer composite

Gao

Chen

et al. 2021

Polymer Composites

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This study investigates the large deformation bending properties of a single-ply fabric reinforced polymer composite (SpFRPC) by the innovative counterweight balanced column bending test (CWB-CBT) and microscopic analysis.The influences of temperatures and asymmetric weave structure on SpFRPC's bending properties are emphasized. In glassy state at 15 C, SpFRPC failed in a brittle manner, with the ultimate moment and initial bending stiffness per width 19.16 Nmm and 448.61 Nmm 2 . The bending capacity decreased to negligible at 40 C in the rubbery state but vice versa for deformability, reaching the curvature of 0.135 mm À1 within maximum accommodation of this CWB-CBT fixture. The asymmetric weave structure enabled larger deformability when bent outward than inward, resulting in more significant stiffness and ultimate moment inward than outward. The transverse yarns' gaps were the weak locations of bending fracture, especially at weave intersection edges. In general, the present work provides an exploratory study for understanding the folding mechanical properties of the SpFRPC.

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“…In this work, the vacuum bag technique is used to prepare rectangular strips of three different ratios of carbon fibre/epoxy laminates [(40:60), (50:50) and (60:40)] to obtain the best composite in terms of properties. The thermo-mechanical and viscoelastic behaviour of composite materials were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), universal testing INTRODUCTION Currently, carbon fibre composites have broad applications in aerospace, for examples, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) used in military and routine applications (i.e., considering the air contamination, research, polar area observing, and animal calculations along with significant military field) (Schlothauer et al, 2020). The interest for more flexibility, successful payload UAVs is enlarging, where composite materials are assuming a basic function in the advancement of these new elite UAVs with exceptional composite material properties (lightweight and high quality) (Ramirez-Atencia et al, 2020).…”

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confidence: 99%

Synthesis and Characterization of Composite Materials with Enhanced Thermo-Mechanical Properties for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) and Aerospace Technologies

Khan¹,

Mohamad²,

Rahmat³

et al. 2021

JST

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Lightweight and high strength composite materials are vital for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and aerospace technologies with desired characteristics. Carbon composite materials exhibit extraordinary properties for UAVs and aerospace applications. This study aimed to discover the best-prepared composition of composites material having epoxy LY-5052 and carbon fibres laminate for UAVs. Besides, to develop a low cost with high specific strength composite material for aerospace application to replace metallic alloys. In this work, the vacuum bag technique is used to prepare rectangular strips of three different ratios of carbon fibre/epoxy laminates [(40:60), (50:50) and (60:40)] to obtain the best composite in terms of properties. The thermo-mechanical and viscoelastic behaviour of composite materials were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), universal testing machine (UTM) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The tensile strength of epoxy LY5052 composites with 60 wt% has enhanced to 986%, and glass transition temperature (Tg) was improved from 71oC to 110oC. Overall, 60 wt% carbon fibre exhibits better thermo-mechanical properties with lightweight, which may be a future composite material for aerospace, especially UAVs technologies.

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High load carrying structures made from folded composite materials

Cited by 7 publications

References 25 publications

Aero-structural optimization and actuation analysis of a morphing wing section with embedded selectively stiff bistable elements

Aero-structural optimization and actuation analysis of a morphing wing section with embedded selectively stiff bistable elements

Large deformation bending of single‐ply fabric reinforced polymer composite

Synthesis and Characterization of Composite Materials with Enhanced Thermo-Mechanical Properties for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) and Aerospace Technologies

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