Modeling Deformations of Active Rods, Ribbons, and Plates

Author: Korner, Kevin Andreas

Year: 2023

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Bhattacharya, Kaushik

Committee Members: Lapusta, Nadia; Fu, Xiaojing; Ortiz, Michael; Bhattacharya, Kaushik

Option: Mechanical Engineering

DOI: 10.7907/2zb0-m166

Abstract

Slender structures are mechanical components which have at least one spatial dimension much smaller than another. Some canonical examples are beams, rods, ribbons, plates, and shells. Although these systems have been studied for many centuries, the focus of development has generally been limited to small strains and the onset of buckling modes. Outside of this regime, both geometric and material non-linearities contribute significant complexity to the analytical and computational techniques which can be applied to these problems. Despite this, large deformations demonstrate tremendous potential in engineering applications, particularly with soft materials. This thesis examines various methods of modeling slender structures. We focus on large strain behaviors, often accentuated by spontaneous strains generated with active materials. These systems demonstrate a wide range of interesting and useful behaviors, such as bifurcations, snap-through, and cyclic deformations.

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