Coupled simulation of the thermo-magneto-mechanical properties of a Ni-Mn-Ga actuator

Abstract

A combination of different finite element (FEM) programs is used to simulate the coupled thermo-magneto- mechanical properties of a Ni-Mn-Ga double-beam cantilever. First, simulations of the static and dynamic temperature distributions are presented for different electrical heating conditions taking into account the effects of martensitic phase transformation. The results are used for a self-consistent mechanical deflection analysis of the actuator in the inhomogeneous magnetic field of a permanent magnet. The influence of the shape recovery, ferromagnetic and Lorentz force on the actuator performance are discussed.