Analytical and numerical solution for multiple shape memory effect of smart corrugated-core sandwich panels with different patterns

Abstract

Shape memory polymers (SMPS) are a class of smart materials used in various industries due to their unique properties. On the other hand, sandwich structures have attracted the attention of many researchers and industries due to their low weight and high strength. Therefore, this study it is aimed to present a semi-analytical solution to describe the behavior of a sandwich plate made of temperature-sensitive SMPs with a corrugated structure, based on the Reissner-Mindlin plate theory together with the viscoelastic theory. The solution is implemented for both dual shape memory (shape and force recovery) and triple shape memory scenarios. Three types of structure, including rectangular, triangular and trapezoidal, have been studied. In addition, in order to examine the impact of the support type, simply supported and clamped boundary conditions have also been investigated for three different geometries. Also, this work examines the impact of thermal stress caused by expansion. In addition to the semi-analytical solution, finite element modeling has also been carried out in all problems. Comparing the results in different geometries and supports shows the proposed semi-analytical solution's ability to predict the material's behavior with great accuracy. Moreover, by examining different cores and supports, one may observe a significant difference in the amount and distribution of the force and deformation, which are key to the design. Therefore, the semi-analytical solution can be considered reliable and accurate for various problems. In addition, compared to the finite element solution, the analytical solution enjoys a much higher speed; thus, it can be used for optimization and design problems that require a huge number of simulations.