Development of a shape memory alloy-based friction damper and its experimental characterization considering rate and temperature effects

Abstract

A new hybrid shape memory alloy (SMA)-based damper was developed to address two major challenges for SMA-based seismic control devices: (i) insufficient force capacity for real-world application and (ii) relatively low energy dissipation capacity. The hybrid damper, named Superelastic Friction Damper (SFD), leverages the high tensile resistance and excellent self-centering capability of SMA cables and non-sacrificial energy dissipation of a frictional damping mechanism. In this paper, the components and basic working principle of the proposed damper are first described, and the advantages of the proposed damper compared to the existing SMA-based hybrid dampers are highlighted. Then, the fabrication of a prototype damper and its experimental testing are discussed. The mechanical response of the damper under repeated cyclic loading at various displacement amplitudes and loading rates is revealed. The effects of ambient temperature on the hysteretic behavior of the developed damper are explored. Results reveal that the proposed damper exhibits stable hysteretic behavior with negligible sensitivity to the loading rate and temperature. The damper provides an equivalent viscous damping of 12 %, accompanied by 89 % recovery of the peak damper displacement.