Effects of shape memory alloy elements on the behavior of aeroelastic systems and adaptive metamaterials

Abstract

The literature on aeroelasticity includes studies on the use of smart materials as sensors, actuators, as well as their combined applications for vibration control and damping, and most recently, for energy harvesting. Although different smart materials are available, shape memory alloys have received growing attention in aerospace applications. The hysteretic response of shape memory alloys exhibiting pseudoelasticity provides energy dissipating and damping capabilities for these materials and, therefore, the effectiveness of the pseudoelastic behavior of shape memory alloys has been investigated for passive structural vibration control. Its effects on improving the aeroelastic behavior of lifting surfaces have been recently reported in a series of paper authored by the post-doc researcher Vagner Sousa. The conclusions from recent work of the researcher with the additional topics to be investigated as part of the present proposal can also lead to the development of new metamaterials. The goal is to obtain metamaterials with tunable and adaptive properties (one of the challenges for the development of next generation structures with adaptive and self-regulating dispersion properties) through the use of nonlinear shape memory alloy resonators. Additionally, the possibility of enhanced adaptive properties of metamaterials by harnessing fluid-structure interactions will be also investigated. (AU)