IMPROVED COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

摘要

A structure comprising a plurality of structural elements connected to form a network, wherein a said structural element comprises a first member and a frame member, the frame member at least partly surrounding the first member, and the frame member being connected to the first member at two positions at least such that the frame member and the first member are mutually constrained; wherein the first member is made of a first material and the frame member is made of a second material, the first and second materials having different coefficients relating dimensional change to a change in applied stimulus; wherein a structural element further comprises nodes, a node being either a passive node or an active node, a passive node being formed where the element's frame member is connected to the element's first member, and an active node being formed at a position on the element's frame member at which the element's frame member is not connected to the element's first member; wherein the network is formed by connecting nodes of adjacent structural elements; and wherein the structural elements are arranged in the network such that, in response to a change in applied stimulus, the resulting displacements of the individual active and passive nodes combine to control the overall dimensional change of the structure.