Adaptive Nonlinear Structures for Flow Regulation

The structural instabilities and elastically-nonlinear behaviour of post-buckled panels are used to design an adaptive air inlet. The device comprises a shape-changing post-buckled composite component that can adapt its configuration in response to varying operating conditions. The inlet aperture is regulated without external mechanisms for actuation and only relies on the pressure field imposed on the structure by the surrounding fluid. ABAQUS is used to design the nonlinear behaviour of the post-buckled composite plate and to simulate its interaction with the airflow.   Gaetano Arena PhD student Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS), University of Bristol