Abstract
This paper provides an application oriented state-of-the-art review of smart materials and magnetostrictive actuators in aeronautical design. Smartness describes self-adaptability, self-sensing, memory and multiple functionality of the materials or structures. The paper shows that these characteristics provide numerous possible applications for these materials and structures in aerospace, manufacturing, civil infrastructure systems and biomechanics. Active vibration and acoustic transmission control, active shape control and active damage control are some of those areas which have found attractive applications for smart materials and structures. Examples of specific applications are micro-positioning, vibration isolation, fast acting valve and nozzles, transducers, luxury car shocks, and active engine mounts in aircrafts. The paper shows that system integration, mass and energy consumption reduction, elimination of moving parts in actuators and collocation between actuator and sensor are some of the benefits of using smart materials. Those smart materials covered in this paper are primarily piezoelectric, shape memory alloys and magnetostrictive.

From the Paper
"Along these lines there is growing interest in the design and control of smart structures systems with embedded sensors and actuators that provide enhanced ability to program a desired response from a system. The ability to sense real-time conditions, i.e., the factors that contribute to turbulence and therefore resistance in a given environment, would be welcome and useful. Applications of interest include: (a) smart helicopter rotors with actuated flaps that alter the aerodynamic and vibrational properties of the rotor in conjunction with evolving flight conditions and aerodynamic loads; and (b) smart fixed wings with actuators that alter airfoil shape to accommodate changing drag/lift conditions. In these and other examples, key technologies include actuators based on materials that respond to changing electric, magnetic, and thermal fields via piezoelectric, magnetostrictive and thermo-elasto-plastic interactions."

Tags:airfoil, Terfenol-D, Dysprosium