Research on intelligent material systems addresses the design of intelligent materials, the embedding of electronics and the design of control strategies for broadband noise. For a technological breakthrough of active noise reduction, the sensing and actuation capabilities as well as the load-carrying characteristics of intelligent materials, defined as composites consisting of transducer materials and conventional materials, have to be enhanced. These intelligent materials, together with the necessary power electronics, electronics for data management and the control, form a system where the individual components interact in a complex manner. The electronics can either be embedded in the composite or be stand-alone in a miniaturised form. When designing the structure of the intelligent material and the control strategy the highly stochastic, broadband excitation of noise has to be taken into account. Although major research work already has been carried out, aspects such as characterisation, handling, manufacturing, reliability and recycling were not addressed so far. Research on intelligent material systems includes the numerical as well as the experimental simulation.
Output of this work-package will be fully qualified and characterised material systems for the application in the following fields: fundamental research and application scenarios. According to the different research aspects on intelligent material systems, the fundamental research is divided into the three technology areas intelligent material systems, system integration and life-cycle of these materials and systems. The trisection also reflects the evolutionary progress in the development of intelligent material systems.
Within these technology areas intelligent material systems will be designed and characterised, simulation and manufacturing technologies developed according to the problems defined in the application scenarios which cover various noise sources of automotives, trains and infrastructure.