Cooling Strategies for a SMA Wire Actuator in a Feed Axis

Abstract

Shape memory alloys (SMA) are smart materials which can be activated thermally. They are suitable for the use as actuators due to their ability to remember an imprinted shape through thermal activation. In addition, actuators based on shape memory alloys offer a higher work output in relation to their volume compared to other actuator concepts. Other advantages of using SMA in actuation applications include the ability to design lightweight systems and the comparatively low material costs. On the other hand, designing an SMA actuator poses a challenge in case a specific rate of feed has to be achieved. These difficulties become especially apparent if the actuator is used to create a defined displacement not only in its activation direction, but in the returning (deactivation) direction as well. This might occur, for example, while devising an SMA-driven feed axis. During the activation of the SMA, the speed of the actuator and therefore the speed of the axis can be influenced by choosing a specific thermal energy transfer method. For instance, when using the intrinsic resistance for heating purposes, the speed can be controlled by changing the electrical current running through the SMA. However, after the deactivation (end of the heating phase) of the shape memory alloy, the transformation needs a considerably longer time. For an exemplary SMA wire actuator, the transformation time in room temperature can be five times higher than the activation time. For usage in a feed axis, the actuator should produce similar speeds in both the activation and deactivation direction. To achieve this, different strategies for cooling the SMA after cutting off the current are investigated. These strategies include an active air cooling system with different flow characteristics and the operation of the actuator in a cooling fluid. In a nutshell, the paper compares different ways of cooling an SMA wire actuator to increase the transformation speed after deactivation. The aim is to make the deactivation speed as manageable as the activation speed.