Shape Memory Alloy Engineering

Book excerpt: Shape Memory Alloy Engineering introduces materials, mechanical, and aerospace engineers to shape memory alloys (SMAs), providing a unique perspective that combines fundamental theory with new approaches to design and modeling of actual SMAs as compact and inexpensive actuators for use in aerospace and other applications. With this book readers will gain an understanding of the intrinsic properties of SMAs and their characteristic state diagrams, allowing them to design innovative compact actuation systems for applications from aerospace and aeronautics to ships, cars, and trucks. The book realistically discusses both the potential of these fascinating materials as well as their limitations in everyday life, and how to overcome some of those limitations in order to achieve proper design of useful SMA mechanisms. Discusses material characterization processes and results for a number of newer SMAs Incorporates numerical (FE) simulation and integration procedures into commercial codes (Msc/Nastran, Abaqus, and others) Provides detailed examples on design procedures and optimization of SMA-based actuation systems for real cases, from specs to verification lab tests on physical demonstrators One of the few SMA books to include design and set-up of demonstrator characterization tests and correlation with numerical models