Experimental data for nonlinear dynamics and energy harvesting of bistable cantilever shells (grant 2021/41/B/ST8/03190 from the National Science Centre, Poland)

An experimental tests on a cantilever composite bistable shell with a piezoelectric patch is reported. The shell is characterized by two stable configurations. Periodic force is applied at the shell’s clamped side through an electrodynamic shaker and the dynamic response is measured through an embedded strain gauge. Selected dynamic regimes are recorded by performing excitation frequency and amplitude sweeps. The resonance scenarios around the two natural frequencies corresponding to the stable configurations show different softening behavior. The excitation amplitude threshold level for snap-through motion is identified. The thested thin-walled pseudo-conical shell has been made of carbon-epoxy composite prepreg tape (AS4-GP-12K_40gsm-300mm-ThinPreg135EP). The composite single layer is characterized by unidirectional reinforcement, thickness 0.04 mm. The manufacturing standard samples for strength tests in the autoclave process reduces to about 0.038 mm.