Ms. Tamara Hanuhov - Ph.D. Candidate
15/08/2024
David Wang Auditorium, 3rd floor Dalia Meidan Bldg.
14:30
Morphing structures that can change their shape in response to external stimuli to enhance performance have been studied in various fields including soft robotics. The main challenge in applying these structures is the inverse design problem, in which the target shape is prescribed but the initial parameters are unknown. In this talk, an efficient algorithm that enables the inverse design of thermally activated lattice structures is developed. A model for the thermo-mechanical response of multi-layer struts that experience large deflections is proposed. The model is employed to develop a concept for multiple thermally activated shape shifts and an inverse design algorithm, which accepts a target function as an input and computes the referential configuration that can achieve the target thermally-activated deformations. The model is validated using 3D-printed struts. Next, the model is used to design smart structures that transition from non-auxetic to auxetic through thermal excitation. We investigate the dependence of the Poisson’s ratio and the response of the lattice on the geometry, the layer properties, and the applied thermal load. We show that temperature can be used to control the Poisson’s ratio over a wide range. The findings from this work provide tools for inverse design of thermally activated shape morphing structures with unique and tailored behavior.