Thermally induced multistable connected curved composite plates as adaptive structures for morphing applications

Thermally induced multistable composite panels take multiple configurations in which energy is only needed to snap through one configuration to another and once a stable configuration is reached the energy can be removed. Thanks to this capability of energy saving shape morphing, these structures have received significant interest during recent decades especially for adaptive wing structures. Thermally induced multistability is generated due to the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between layers of an unsymmetric composite laminate after it is cured at an elevated temperature. So far, bistable flat and curved plates have been studied separately. Combination of these structures can offer greater flexibility to design a morphing structure. In this work, a special multistable corrugated composite structure which is composed of connected curved plates is introduced. It is experimentally illustrated that the greater the number of connected curved plates the more the number of stable shapes. Potential application of the proposed structure in a morphing wing is also discussed.