Modeling of microvascular shape memory composites

Abstract

This work investigates the adaptive and morphing properties of SMCs based on a shape memory polymer (SMP) and a microvascular arrangement of shape memory alloys (SMAs). Here, the microvascular SMA phase has been subjected to a two-way shape memory effect (SME) process, in order to fully control the actuation properties of the SMC. It has been observed that the two-way trained SMA successfully induces a morphing performance on the SMC during a fluid heating-cooling cycle. The initial results suggest that the actuation behavior of the SMC strongly depends on the microvascular fluid heating rate as well as on the temperature difference between the glass transition temperature of the SMP and the activation temperature of the SMA. Analytical and Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis on the microvascular SMC has also been performed. The results suggest that the FEA analysis offers a better prediction of the thermo-mechanical behavior of the SMC. It has been observed that whilst the FEA successfully predicts the thermal profile of the SMC, the mechanical modeling seems to require a degree of amendment. Here, the FEA has predicted a deflection 20% higher than those experimentally recorded. Although a refinement is needed on the mechanical modeling of the FEA analysis, the current FEA work certainly provides the elementary design parameters for future optimizations of morphing structures based on SMC.