SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES

By
C V RAMBABU
Senior Assistant Professor
Dept. of EIE
VNR VJIET
 SYLLABUS
• UNIT I:

Introduction: Introduction to Smart Materials and Structures – Instrumented structures functions and response – Sensing
systems – Self -diagnosis – Signal processing consideration – Actuation systems and effectors.

• UNIT-II:

Measuring Techniques: Measuring techniques: Strain Measuring Techniques using Electrical strain gauges, Types –
Resistance – Capacitance – Inductance – Wheatstone bridges – Pressure transducers – Load cells – Temperature Compensation
– Strain Rosettes.

• UNIT-III:

Sensors: Sensing Technology – Types of Sensors – Physical Measurement using Piezo Electric Strain measurement –
Inductively Read Transducers – LVDT – Fiber optic Techniques- Absorptive chemical sensors – Spectroscopes – Fibre
Optic Chemical Sensing Systems and Distributed measurement, Application of Smart Sensors for Structural Health
Monitoring (SHM), System Identification using Smart Sensors
• UNIT –IV:

Actuators: Actuator Techniques – Actuator and actuator materials – Piezoelectric and Electrostrictive
Material – Magneto structure Material – Shape Memory Alloys – Electro rheological fluids –
Electromagnetic actuation – Role of actuators and Actuator Materials - IPMC and Polymeric Actuators,
Shape Memory Actuators

• UNIT-V:

Signal Processing and Control Systems: Data Acquisition and Processing – Signal Processing and
Control for Smart Structures – Sensors as Geometrical Processors – Signal Processing – Control System –
Linear and Non-Linear

• UNIT –VI:

Advances in Smart Structures & Materials: Self-Sensing Piezoelectric Transducers, Energy

Harvesting Materials, Autophagous Materials, Self Healing Polymers, Intelligent System Design, Emergent
System Design
 UNIT - I

INTRODUCTION
Introduction to Smart Materials and Structures
• The development of Smart Materials and Systems is truly multi-
disciplinary science, drawing on expertise ranging from materials science
and manufacturing to engineering design and control.

• The most commonly accepted definition is that smart materials and

systems can sense and respond to the environment around them in a
predictable and useful manner.

• Smart materials and systems have a wide range of applications. Investment

in research and development is driven by factors such as legislation,
reducing waste and demand for higher quality of life.
 Concept Definition
• The concept of a smart system can be described as a “system that has intrinsic sensor, actuator and control
mechanisms whereby it is capable of sensing a stimulus, responding to it, and reverting to its original state after
the stimulus is removed.”

• A System or Material which has built-in or intrinsic sensor(s), actuator(s) and control mechanism(s)whereby it is
capable of sensing a stimulus, responding to it in a predetermined manner and extent, in a short / appropriate
time and reverting to its original state as soon as the stimulus is removed.

• Integration of functions

Sensor, actuator and control mechanisms

• Stimulus

Stress, strain, light, electric field, gas molecules, temperature and pressure, etc.

• Response

Motion or change in optical properties, modulus, surface tension, piezoelectricity or pyroelectricity, etc.
 The Smart structures can be classified based on the level of sophistication as

• A) Sensory Structures: These structures possess sensors that enable the determination or monitoring of
system states / characteristics

• B) Adaptive Structures: These structures possess actuators that enable the alteration of system states /
characteristics in a controlled manner

• C) Controlled Structures: These result from the intersection of the sensory and the adaptive structures. These
possess both sensors and actuators integrated in feedback architecture for the purpose of controlling the system
states / characteristics

• D) Active Sensors: These structures possess both sensors and actuators that are highly integrated into the
structure and exhibit structural functionality in addition to control functionality

• E) Intelligent Structures: These structures are basically active structures possessing highly integrated control
logic and electronics that provides the cognitive element of a distributed or hierarchic control architecture
Classification of Smart Structures
 Smart Materials
•Materials that have the intrinsic or extrinsic capabilities to respond to an external stimulus in a functionally useful manner.

•Materials that possess adaptive capabilities to external stimuli, such as loads or environment, with inherent intelligence.

•Materials which possess the ability to change their physical properties in a specific manner in response to specific stimulus input.

•Active Smart Materials: These can possess the capacity to modify their geometric or material properties under the application of

electric, thermal or magnetic fields, thereby acquiring an inherent capacity to transduce energy.

Ex: Piezoelectric materials, SMAs, ER fluids and Magneto-strictive materials

Being active these can be used as Force transducers and actuators

•Passive Smart Materials: Though these are smart materials, lack of inherent capability to transduce energy.

Ex: Fibre Optic Material

Being passive these can act as sensors but not as actuators or transducers.
Common Smart Materials and Associated Stimulus
Response
 Applications of Smart Materials
• Materials which can restrain the propagation of cracks by automatically producing compressive stress

around them (Damage Arrest)

• Materials which can discriminate whether the loading is static or shock and can generate a large force

against shock stresses (Shock Absorbers)

• Materials possessing self-repairing capabilities, which can heal damages in due course of time (Self

Healing Materials)

• Materials which are usable up to ultra high temperatures (such as those encountered by space shuttles

when they re enter the earth’s atmosphere from outer space) by suitably changing composition through

transformation (Thermal Mitigation)

Architecture of a Smart Sensor / Structure
Common Characteristics of Smart Systems
The most common capabilities of smart sensor / transmitter / actuator
packages include:
• Multivariable Capability – To measure more than one variable at a
given process point
• Self diagnostics – checking its own operating condition and report
operational anomalies or component failure
• Self calibration – adjusting its calibration when process conditions
change
• Direct digital transmission of measurements
 Seven Major Elements of Architecture
• Transducer – either a sensor or an actuator
• Signal conditioning module – Prepares the electrical sgl for conversion to the digital domain. This
can include conversion from one form of electrical sgl to another, amplification, bandwidth limiting
through anti aliasing filters and more.
• ADC
• Application Algorithms – Application level software or hardware whose functions include converting
the data to user specified units,
signal processing,
data analysis and reduction,
watching for alarm conditions,
logging time-stamped records to memory
running local control loops or
other operations appropriately performed close to the point of
measurement.
• These algorithms along with self calibration and self diagnostics provide the “SMART” in smart
sensors
• Data Storage
• User Interface – A standardised presentation of corrected data to the
end user in the user’s language and terminology and in the
application specific physical units
• Communication – An interface to a communication medium for
remote access to the sensor for setup, calibration, diagnostics, data
capture and general status monitoring.
For smart actuators or systems with combination
of sensors and actuators, communication can include commands such

as updating outputs and changing set points.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHn7O6PUaoY