Switchable stiffness morphing aerostructures based on granular jamming

One of the persistent challenges facing the development of morphing aerostructures is the need to have material and structural solutions which provide a compromise between the competing design drivers of low actuation energy and high stiffness under external loads. This work proposes a solution to this challenge in the form of a novel switchable stiffness structural concept based on the principle of granular jamming. In this article, the concept of using granular jamming for controlling stiffness is first introduced. Four-point bending tests are used to obtain the flexural rigidity and bending stiffness of three different granular materials under different levels of applied vacuum loading. Nonlinear finite element analysis simulations using experimentally derived nonlinear material properties show good agreement with experiment. A specific application of this concept is then proposed based on the Fish Bone Active Camber morphing airfoil. A unit cell of this concept is built, tested and analysed, followed by the first prototype of a complete switchable stiffness Fish Bone Active Camber morphing airfoil, which is experimentally shown to be able to achieve an increase in stiffness of up to 300% due to granular jamming.