Abstract
The phenomenon of thermally induced distortions in unsymmetrical laminates is well understood, and it may be shown that a square, unsymmetrical 0.90 laminate will tend to form two stable geometries with a snap-through phenomenon between them. This paper discusses laminates in which at each point the lay-up is symmetrical across the laminate mid-plane, but which still exhibit multiple stable geometries. The number of stable geometries can be controlled by the details of the lay-up from the minimum of two to, in principle, an unlimited number. In addition it will be shown how a similar process can be used to generate multiple stable stress states and geometries in unidirectional laminates. This paper represents a very preliminary experimental investigation of the design space available for such composite laminates. Possible applications of composites with multiple stable geometries are noted.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1353-1361 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2004 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- B. Residual/internal stress
- C. Analytical modelling
- E. Prepreg