Hybrid smart composite plate under low velocity impact

This paper presents an approach to the detection of the strains and optimization of shape memory alloys (SMAs) under low velocity impact. It is assumed that the sensor is mounted on the opposite side of the impact process. SMA fibers are embedded within the layers of a composite plate. The first-order shear deformation theory of plates is used, and the finite element method is adopted in the numerical analysis. With different skew angles of the piezoelectric sensor, we can illustrate that the measured charge manifests the strain components induced by the impact. By changing the SMA volume fractions and the temperature increment, we can significantly reduce the deflections. It can be shown that the application of piezoelectric sensors is effective in the monitoring of the transient strain. In addition, the optimization of the distribution of volume fraction of SMA fibers provides further benefits in reducing the deflection of the plate.