Modeling of snapping composite shells with magnetically aligned bio-inspired reinforcements

Abstract Materials capable of exhibiting inherent morphing are rare and typically reliant on chemical properties. The resulting diffusion-driven shape adaptability is slow and limited to specific environmental conditions. In contrast, natural composites, such as those found in carnivorous plants, have evolved hierarchical architectures displaying remarkably fast adaptation in response to environmental stimuli. These biological materials have inspired the fabrication of snapping composite shells through the careful design of the internal microstructure of synthetic materials by magnetic alignment of reinforcements. The ability to accurately model such programmable materials using finite element analysis (FEA) is necessary to facilitate the design optimization of the resulting structures. Using similar material parameters as explored in previous experimental studies, we employ nonlinear FEA to investigate the effects of introducing curvilinear spatially distributed micro-reinforcements on the deformation of a shell with an unusual bioinspired geometry. The FEA model is subject to experimental validation with magnetically aligned specimens. Comparison to a traditional [90/0] composite layup demonstrates the advantages of magnetically aligned reinforcements to achieve complex, snapping morphing structures with tailored characteristics.