Design, manufacturing, and testing of an adaptive composite panel with embedded shape memory alloy actuators

This article presents a novel design procedure leading to fabrication of a composite adaptive panel prototype with an embedded array of linear shape memory alloy actuators. This procedure allows determination of the panel’s radius of curvature as a function of the shape memory alloy actuators’ actuation temperature and panel configuration (number and orientation of plies, number and location of actuators, the materials’ properties, and the geometric arrangement). This design procedure integrates properties of the host structure (composite laminate) and of the actuators (shape memory alloy wires) in the framework of a unique design diagram. The performances of shape memory alloy actuators are obtained by experimental manipulations, whereas the rigidity of the host structure is calculated using the finite element numerical modeling approach. To validate the developed design procedure, a [90/90/90/wire/90] 425 × 425 × 5-mm adaptive panel prototype is fabricated using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding method. The results obtained from experimental tests are used to monitor the global performance of the adaptive panel and to validate the developed design procedure.