Capabilities of self-centering damping device based on pseudoelastic NiTi wires

Abstract

This experimental study explored a new energy dissipation damper based on pre-stretched pseudoelastic NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. Due to the pseudoelastic effect and structural parameters, the device combined a self-centering ability and good damping properties. These features were experimentally verified in a prototype composed of four 1.5 mm diameter pseudoelastic NiTi SMA wires. The functional properties of the damping device under various loading frequencies and displacement ranges were studied. The device was pre-loaded by 50 loading cycles before testing to stabilize the functional properties of SMA wires. The dissipation energy grew with the device rod displacement amplitude in the studied frequency range. At all displacement amplitudes, the dissipation energy first rose and falled monotonically with the frequency growth from 0.001 to 0.005 Hz. The results obtained strongly indicate that the proposed pseudoelastic SMA damper can be effectively used in structures undergoing cyclic loading in terms of post-yield strength, energy dissipation, and re-centering capability.