Smart materials can be effectively utilised to design lightweight load-bearing smart composite structures for a wide range of applications ranging from noise and vibration control to mechanical power transmission and structural health monitoring.
The definition
Smart structure
To be able to define a smart composite structure, we must first define what a smart structure is.
A smart structure is a physical structure that has three key characteristics:
- A definite purpose
- Means and necessity to achieve that purpose
- And an implementable function.
For the structure to be considered smart, it also has to have the following basic components:
- Data collection (tactile sensing): capturing the raw data required for the adequate control and monitoring of the structure.
- Data transmission (sensing nerves): forwarding of the raw data to the local and central control units.
- Command and control centre (brain): analysing data, drawing conclusions and determining specific measures
- Data instructions (motion nerves):transmitting decisions and associated instructions to the individual units of the structure
- Control units (muscles): taking action by triggering the control units.
Smart composite structure
Now that we got that out of the way, let us define a smart composite structure. Simply put, a smart composite structure is a host structure made of composite material in which the different basic components mentioned above are embedded. It is essentially a composite material in which smart materials are integrated to make it functional.
To create a smart composite structure, transducers and an electrical conductor network are glued onto the structure to be controlled, with the electronics located on the outside of the structure.
Applications
Vibration dampening
Mechanical vibrations can have a negative impact on systems caused by failures that occur through fatigue, vibrations and noise which affect customer comfort, or by limiting the operation conditions of systems in the field of precision engineering. The beauty of smart composite structures is that they can alter their own properties in order to modify their vibrational or vibroacoustic behaviour in ways that prevent the drawbacks mentioned above.
Structural health monitoring (SMH)
The embedded transducer network can monitor the quality or aging of the host composite structure over a period of time. This means that the network is able to detect a fibre rupture or other such malfunctions. An intelligent composite structure is particularly helpful in locating flaws or even in predicting other defective occurences. Ruptures in composite structures are often hidden behind a layer of paint and are therefore invisible, although they have a great impact on the further stiffness or strength which, in turn, can carry major risks.
Energy harvesting (EH)
Because of how sophisticated energy harvesting devices and technologies have become, it is possible to integrate these EH devices into the composite structure and to generate electrical energy from vibrational energy. This leads, as mentioned above, to dampening plus the added benefit of energy generation.
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