Frequency Control of Thin Plates with Light-Activated Shape-Memory Polymers

Abstract

Light-activated shape-memory polymer (LaSMP) is a novel shape-memory material whose Young’s modulus can be manipulated with high-energy light irradiations. This study focuses on the frequency control of LaSMP-laminated simply supported thin plate by light-induced actuations. The governing equation of thin plate covered by LaSMP patch with arbitrary distribution is derived. The controlled frequency is solved numerically based on the Rayleigh–Ritz method and degenerates to an analytical solution of the fully laminated plate. The finite element method (FEM) is used to validate numerically solved analytical solutions, and FEM results are compared favorably with those solutions. Based on the numerical results of thin plate with partly covered LaSMP, the influences of LaSMP size and location on frequency control are investigated. The data suggest that the effect of frequency control is best when LaSMP is placed at the peak amplitude of the mode shapes with larger covering area. This study indicates that LaSMP can be a potential smart material for controlling frequency of thin plates by noncontact light actuations.