Transient analysis and control of delaminated composite plates in hygrothermal environment using active fiber composite actuator

In the present article, the transient analysis and control of delaminated composite plates under hazardous environmental conditions using active fiber composite (AFC) is discussed. Top and bottom layers of the laminated composite plate are embedded AFC layers. The present investigation utilizes AFC as an actuator and sensor. A finite element model for centrally located delamination is developed and coded in Matlab. The proportional controller is used to control the undesirable response in real time. The transient response of the smart delaminated plate is studied for different temperatures and moisture conditions. The feedback control of the dynamic response is performed with the help of velocity and displacement feedback gain to the AFC actuator. The key observations from the numerical studies are; the dynamic response and the frequency response of composite plate increase due to delamination and also with the increase of the temperature and moisture concentrations. The response reduces when the feedback control loop is activated. So, the overall performance of the delaminated plate structure in hygrothermal environment may be enhanced.