Optimal design of a flexural actuator

A minimum-weight flexural actuator is designed. The actuator comprises a tr iangular corrugated core with shape memory alloy (SMA) faces. It is clamped at one end and free at the other. For design and optimization, the tempera ture history of the face sheets upon heating and subsequent cooling is firs t obtained as a function of the cooling efficiency (Biot number) and the op erational frequency deduced. Based upon this response, a phenomenological m odel is employed to represent the martensite evolution. Thereafter, the end deflection is calculated as a function of temperature. The minimum weight is calculated subject to the provisos that: (i) the end deflection attains a specified value; (ii) the power consumed is less than the upper limit of the supply; and failure is averted by (iii) face/core yielding and (iv) fac e/core buckling; (v) the operational frequency of the panel achieves a spec ified limit. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.