Artificial sunflower: Light-induced deformation of photoactive shells

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Sanagala, Sathvik, Bhattacharya, Kaushik
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Sanagala, Sathvik
Bhattacharya, Kaushik
author_facet Sanagala, Sathvik
Bhattacharya, Kaushik
contents Photomechanically active materials undergo reversible deformation on illumination, making them ideal for remote, tether-free actuation. Much of the work on these materials has focused on one-dimensional structures, such as strips. In this paper, we explore photomechanically active two-dimensional structures such as sheets and shells. When illuminated, such structures undergo spontaneous bending due to the limited penetration of light. However, the geometry of the shell constrains possible deformation modes: changes in Gauss curvature lead to in-plane stretching, against which shells are very stiff. Therefore, there is a complex coupling between the photomechanical actuation and the mechanical behavior of a shell. We develop and implement a novel approach to study photomechananically active shells. This method is a discrete shell model which captures the interplay between actuation, stretching, bending, and geometric changes. Through a series of examples, we explore these complex interactions, demonstrating how one can design shells that deform to follow the source of illumination.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_19645
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Artificial sunflower: Light-induced deformation of photoactive shells
Sanagala, Sathvik
Bhattacharya, Kaushik
Materials Science
Photomechanically active materials undergo reversible deformation on illumination, making them ideal for remote, tether-free actuation. Much of the work on these materials has focused on one-dimensional structures, such as strips. In this paper, we explore photomechanically active two-dimensional structures such as sheets and shells. When illuminated, such structures undergo spontaneous bending due to the limited penetration of light. However, the geometry of the shell constrains possible deformation modes: changes in Gauss curvature lead to in-plane stretching, against which shells are very stiff. Therefore, there is a complex coupling between the photomechanical actuation and the mechanical behavior of a shell. We develop and implement a novel approach to study photomechananically active shells. This method is a discrete shell model which captures the interplay between actuation, stretching, bending, and geometric changes. Through a series of examples, we explore these complex interactions, demonstrating how one can design shells that deform to follow the source of illumination.
title Artificial sunflower: Light-induced deformation of photoactive shells
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.19645