Abstract
A reconfigurable smart surface with multiple equilibria is presented, modelled using discrete point masses and linear springs with geometric nonlinearity. An energy-efficient reconfiguration scheme is then investigated to connect equal-energy unstable (but actively controlled) equilibria. In principle zero net energy input is required to transition the surface between these unstable states, compared to transitions between stable equilibria across a potential barrier. These transitions between equal-energy unstable states therefore form heteroclinic connections in the phase space of the problem. Moreover, the smart surface model developed can be considered as a unit module for a range of applications, including modules which can aggregate together to form larger distributed smart surface systems.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-24 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |
Early online date | 11 Jan 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 11 Jan 2017 |
Keywords
- reconfigurable smart surface
- heteroclinic connections
- energy efficiency