Numerical modeling of shape memory alloy linear actuator

Abstract

The demand for shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators in high-technology applications is increasing; however, there exist technical challenges to the commercial application of SMA actuator technologies, especially associated with actuation duration. Excessive activation duration results in actuator damage due to overheating while excessive deactivation duration is not practical for high-frequency applications. Analytical and finite difference equation models were developed in this work to predict the activation and deactivation durations and associated SMA thermomechanical behavior under variable environmental and design conditions. Relevant factors, including latent heat effect, induced stress and material property variability are accommodated. An existing constitutive model was integrated into the proposed models to generate custom SMA stress---strain curves. Strong agreement was achieved between the proposed numerical models and experimental results; confirming their applicability for predicting the behavior of SMA actuators with variable thermomechanical conditions.