SCHOOL AFFIATION
West Ashley Center for Advanced Studies (K-12) (Charleston, SC)
FACULTY ADVISOR
Prof. Oliver Meyer (Mechanical Engineering)
RESEARCH PROJECT OVERVIEW
The bistability characteristics of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminate were measured with a profilometer. Novel shapes including hexagons, flags, triangles, and kites were developed along with a hinge. Preforming the composites required experimenting with silicone and parchment paper as separators to prevent the composite from sticking to itself or to forms and modified vacuum bagging techniques. Integrating aluminum strips on the hinge line increased the curvature while using the KEVLAR® -carbon fiber hybrid fabric resulted in a multi-stable object with interesting force transition properties.
RESEARCH & TEACHING EXPERIENCE VIDEO
LESSON PLAN
Activity Title: Stop, Drop, and Don’t Roll: Exploring the use of bistable objects as part of an impact dampening and control system
Focus Grade Target: 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade
Time Required: 120 minutes (15 minute introduction to impact systems, 90 minutes for experiment, 15 minutes for debrief)
Group Size: Small groups (three to five students)
Additional instructional files: Lesson Plan Files