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- Magnetic soft actuators for aerospace applications: an experimental approach to morphing conceptsPublication . Santos, Diogo Gonçalves dos; Pereira, João Pedro Nunes; Silva, Abílio Manuel Pereira da; Fiadeiro, Paulo TorrãoThe use of morphing to achieve performance improvements in mobility is widely employed in nature, primarily to optimize the interactions of flying or swimming animals with their environment. This type of adaptive capability has long been targeted in aerospace applications, where constantly changing conditions challenge the multiple design solutions that are suitable only for a specific set of conditions. Despite the need and demand for a solution that can adapt to these changing conditions with significantly different geometries, not many have been developed yet, especially ones that do not require mechanical drive systems, joining interfaces, and openings that compromise aerodynamic performance. The present dissertation aims to study the use of magnetic elastomers to achieve desired morphing capabilities for aerospace applications. The study process used to achieve the goal of producing soft magnetic actuators involved various stages, starting with the analysis of the state of the art in aerospace applications. Subsequently, the production of simple elastomers was studied and optimized, taking into account the addition of magnetic particles to impart magnetic properties to the elastomer. Various types of permanent magnetization processes and particle percentages were then tested to clarify their influence on actuation capability and mechanical properties. After refining the production of soft magnetic elastomers, they were reinforced with natural (flax) and synthetic (glass) fibers and tested again for actuation capability and mechanical properties, achieving a tensile strength about 34 times higher while maintaining deformation for actuation. One promising application was the use of alternating magnetic fields to achieve continuous oscillatory motion of the actuator, capable of mimicking the movement of a flapping wing in nature. This concept proved successful and could pave the way for more ambitious future applications. Other promising concepts, such as vibration dampers or actuators, were briefly explored as well.