About the Instructor
Mr. Aghna Mukherjee is a PhD Scholar at the Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras.
He is working with Dr. A Arockiarajan and Dr. S. F. Ali in the Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras. His area of work is the design of compliant mechanisms driven by smart actuators. My area of expertise includes finite element analysis, structural dynamics, and continuum mechanics. The design and the analysis are carried out using commercial software like ABAQUS and in-house codes written in MATLAB and python.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aghnamukherjee/
About the Project
Bistable laminates are a special class of structural elements that have more than one stable equilibrium
configuration. It is possible to go from one equilibrium state to the other by application of a load. This bistability opens up the possibility of designing flexible mechanisms using these bistable laminates for morphing applications in the aerospace domain.
This project will help you understand how to model such bistable structures using the finite element method in commercial FE analysis software ABAQUS. Further, we will model the snapthrough process,
wherein we will simulate the bistable laminates going from one equilibrium state to the other. Finally, if
time permits, we will try to design an actuation system using a special class of smart materials known
as macro-fiber composites (MFCs) to drive the bistable laminates between their equilibrium states.
This project will give you an idea of practically using the commercial software ABAQUS to develop state-
of-the-art structural technologies in the aerospace domain.
To pique your curiosity, DRDO and Airbus are currently exploring bistable laminates for their potential in future wing morphing technology.
Some Pre-requisites