Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber Wings

The bistable laminated structure is widely used in many fields due to its unique deformation characteristics. In practical engineering, laminates under different structural constraints will exhibit different steady-state deformation characteristics. This study proposes a novel bistable laminated str...

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Main Authors: Hanqi Xie, Shujie Zhang, Yizhang Yang, Yang Zhou, Hongxiao Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Aerospace
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/6/525
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author Hanqi Xie
Shujie Zhang
Yizhang Yang
Yang Zhou
Hongxiao Zhao
author_facet Hanqi Xie
Shujie Zhang
Yizhang Yang
Yang Zhou
Hongxiao Zhao
author_sort Hanqi Xie
collection DOAJ
description The bistable laminated structure is widely used in many fields due to its unique deformation characteristics. In practical engineering, laminates under different structural constraints will exhibit different steady-state deformation characteristics. This study proposes a novel bistable laminated structure based on applying a variable-stiffness design to the deformation element. By adjusting the laying area of the metal layer in the variable-stiffness zone, the out-of-plane deformation and local curvature distribution can be changed to better meet application requirements. This study adopts the finite element numerical simulation method to systematically investigate the influence of geometric parameters, the proportion of metal layer edge length, and the number of layers on the deformation performance of bistable laminates. Considering the design of a flexible bistable variable-camber wing, the variable-stiffness design proposed in this study was adopted to coordinate the curvature distribution of laminates, making the cambered airfoil of the wing more uniform and smoother and improving aerodynamic efficiency. The research results not only provide new ideas for designing bistable laminates under complex constraints but also offer design references for the lightweight optimization and aerodynamic performance improvement of bistable morphing wings.
format Article
id doaj-art-2e1d2a6f633f4c508bc2800d6024ee57
institution Kabale University
issn 2226-4310
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Aerospace
spelling doaj-art-2e1d2a6f633f4c508bc2800d6024ee572025-08-20T03:30:24ZengMDPI AGAerospace2226-43102025-06-0112652510.3390/aerospace12060525Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber WingsHanqi Xie0Shujie Zhang1Yizhang Yang2Yang Zhou3Hongxiao Zhao4School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaSchool of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaSchool of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaShupin Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201108, ChinaSchool of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaThe bistable laminated structure is widely used in many fields due to its unique deformation characteristics. In practical engineering, laminates under different structural constraints will exhibit different steady-state deformation characteristics. This study proposes a novel bistable laminated structure based on applying a variable-stiffness design to the deformation element. By adjusting the laying area of the metal layer in the variable-stiffness zone, the out-of-plane deformation and local curvature distribution can be changed to better meet application requirements. This study adopts the finite element numerical simulation method to systematically investigate the influence of geometric parameters, the proportion of metal layer edge length, and the number of layers on the deformation performance of bistable laminates. Considering the design of a flexible bistable variable-camber wing, the variable-stiffness design proposed in this study was adopted to coordinate the curvature distribution of laminates, making the cambered airfoil of the wing more uniform and smoother and improving aerodynamic efficiency. The research results not only provide new ideas for designing bistable laminates under complex constraints but also offer design references for the lightweight optimization and aerodynamic performance improvement of bistable morphing wings.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/6/525bistable structurevariable-stiffness designdeformation performancevariable-camber wingcomposite material
spellingShingle Hanqi Xie
Shujie Zhang
Yizhang Yang
Yang Zhou
Hongxiao Zhao
Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber Wings
Aerospace
bistable structure
variable-stiffness design
deformation performance
variable-camber wing
composite material
title Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber Wings
title_full Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber Wings
title_fullStr Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber Wings
title_full_unstemmed Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber Wings
title_short Design of Variable-Stiffness Bistable Composite Laminates and Their Application in Variable-Camber Wings
title_sort design of variable stiffness bistable composite laminates and their application in variable camber wings
topic bistable structure
variable-stiffness design
deformation performance
variable-camber wing
composite material
url https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/6/525
work_keys_str_mv AT hanqixie designofvariablestiffnessbistablecompositelaminatesandtheirapplicationinvariablecamberwings
AT shujiezhang designofvariablestiffnessbistablecompositelaminatesandtheirapplicationinvariablecamberwings
AT yizhangyang designofvariablestiffnessbistablecompositelaminatesandtheirapplicationinvariablecamberwings
AT yangzhou designofvariablestiffnessbistablecompositelaminatesandtheirapplicationinvariablecamberwings
AT hongxiaozhao designofvariablestiffnessbistablecompositelaminatesandtheirapplicationinvariablecamberwings