<title>Design and modeling of a novel fibrous shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator</title>

Abstract

Presented is a novel design of a composite linear actuator utilizing a parallel array of contractile shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires. The fiber bundle of SMA wires is either circumscribed inside a helical compression spring with flat heads or are in parallel with a number of helical compression springs, end-capped by two parallel circular plates with embedded electrodes to which the ends of the SMA wires are secured. Thus, the wires can be electrically heated and subsequently contracted to compress the helical compression spring. Upon cooling the SMA wires expand and allow the helical compression spring to tightly stretch them to their initial length. Design details are first fully described. Steps involved in the fabrication of a number of these composite SMA actuators are then elaborated on. A number of interesting heat transfer phenomena are observed. In essence the dynamic behavior of the actuator depends on the interaction between the current supplied to the wires and the rate of heat transfer from the wires due to convection and radiation. A design model is finally presented for the dynamic response of contractile fiber bundles embedded in or around elastic springs that are either linear helical compression springs, hyperelastic springs such as rubberlike materials, or nonlinear springs such as air. The fiber bundle is assumed to consist of a parallel array of contractile fibers made from contractile shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires. The proposed model considers the temperature- induced contraction of the fibers due to resistive heating of the shape-memory wires. Results of both dynamic computer simulation and dynamics of a prototype model built in our laboratory indicate a fairly good comparison.