Finite element simulation of low velocity impact on shape memory alloy composite plates

Delamination of composite materials due to low velocity impacts is one of the major failure types of aerospace composite structures. The low velocity impact may not immediately induce any visible damage on the surface of structures whilst the stiffness and compressive strength of the structures can decrease dramatically.

Shape memory alloy (SMA) materials possess unique mechanical and thermal properties compared with conventional materials. Many studies have shown that shape memory alloy wires can absorb a lot of the energy during the impact due to their superelastic and hysteretic behaviour. The superelastic effect is due to reversible stress induced transformation from austenite to martensite. If a stress is applied to the alloy in the austenitic state, large deformation strains can be obtained and stress induced martensite is formed. Upon removal of the stress, the martensite reverts to its austenitic parent phase and the SMA undergoes a large hysteresis loop and a large recoverable strain is obtained. This large strain energy absorption capability can be used to improve the impact tolerance of composites. By embedding superelastic shape memory alloys into a composite structure, impact damage can be reduced quite significantly.

This article investigates the impact damage behaviour of carbon fiber/epoxy composite plates embedded with superelastic shape memory alloys wires. The results show that for low velocity impact, embedding SMA wires into composites increase the damage resistance of the composites when compared to conventional composites structures.     

Multiscale finite element modeling of superelasticity in Nitinol polycrystals

An efficient method is proposed for modeling superelastic polycrystalline NiTi by solving a two-scale problem. The RVE size of the fine scale is determined using a statistics-based approach. Both problems are discretized in space using the finite element method and their communication is effected using MPI. Representative simulations illustrate the modeling capabilities of the proposed approach.     

TiNiCu形状记忆合金双向记忆效应研究

研究了热机械训练温度及定型处理温度对TiNiCu形状记忆合金弹簧双向记忆效应的影响。研究结果表明:在纯马氏体状态进行训练时,双向记忆恢复率随训练次数的增加而增加,并在一定的训练次数后达到饱和;在纯奥氏体状态进行训练,双向记忆恢复率随训练次数迅速增加到某一最大值后随训练次数的增加而减小;在马氏体和奥氏体混合相进行训练时,双向记忆恢复率随训练次数先增加而后减小。经过400～550℃×1h/AC定型处理及热机械训练后最大形状记忆恢复率随定型处理温度升高先增大然后减小。由于马氏体再取向时引入的位错有利于双向记忆效应,热诱发和应力诱发的马氏体变体数量不同,引起了在不同状态训练诱发的双向记忆效应随训练次数变化的差异。     

Topology optimization of planar shape memory alloy thermal actuators using element connectivity parameterization

This paper presents the direct application of topology optimization to the design of shape memory alloy (SMA) thermal actuators. Because SMAs exhibit strongly nonlinear, temperature‐dependent material behavior, designing effective multidimensional SMA actuator structures is a challenging task. We pursue the use of topology optimization to address this problem. Conventional material scaling topology optimization approaches are hampered by the complexity of the SMA constitutive behavior combined with large actuator deflections. Therefore, for topology optimization we employ the element connectivity parameterization approach, which offers improved analysis convergence and robustness, as well as an unambiguous treatment of nonlinear materials. A path‐independent SMA constitutive model, aimed particularly at the NiTi R‐phase transformation, is employed, allowing efficient adjoint sensitivity analysis. The effectiveness of the proposed SMA topology optimization is demonstrated by numerical examples of constrained and unconstrained formulations of actuator stroke maximization, which provide insight into the characteristics of optimal SMA actuators. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Low frequency damping properties of a NiMnTi shape memory alloy

The present study investigated the low frequency damping properties of a NiMnTi shape memory alloy (SMA) for the first time. The NiMnTi SMA had a high β?θ′ internal friction peak at approximately 125 °C and a low relaxation peak at approximately − 45 °C in the dynamic mechanical analysis cooling tan δ curve. The relaxation peak possessed an activation energy of 0.64 ± 0.03 eV and its damping capacity gradually decreased with the increase of thermal cycling. The NiMnTi SMA also had a good inherent internal friction with tan δ = 0.009 at approximately 140 °C and is a promising high damping alloy for high temperature applications.     

A new finite element technology for shape memory alloy composites

In this paper, we present a computationally efficient implementation of a continuum mechanical model for shape memory alloys into a finite element code. The model covers several thermomechanically coupled effects typical for the material behaviour of shape memory alloys, e.g. pseudo‐elasticity, the one‐way shape memory effect and the two‐way shape memory effect due to external loads. Via the use of a finite element formulation based on only one Gauss point, the computational effort is reduced enormously.     

Material design and shape memory properties of smart composites composed of polymer and ferromagnetic shape memory alloy particles

Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMAs) such as NiMnGa are expected to be new practical actuator materials with high driving frequency by magnetic field and large strain due to the shape memory effect (SME). However, the brittleness and poor workability of FSMAs, especially at a polycrystalline state, are serious problems and should be improved for a practical use. From this viewpoint a smart composite has been designed by a combination of a polymer matrix and FSMA particles (FSMAP), and a systematic investigation has been done for a NiMnGa-FSMAP/epoxy smart composite. This paper summarizes the design concept and some experimental results of the smart composite. It is pointed out that the single-crystal NiMnGa-FSMAP are easily made by mechanical crush due to the brittleness of FSMAs, and microstructural control is also possible by applying magnetic field during curing. Experimental study revealed that the NiMnGa-FSMAP/epoxy smart composites exhibit both tensile ductility and SME, and that shape memory properties become improved by decreasing particle size of FSMAP. It is concluded that the FSMAP/polymer smart composite has a large potential to be a new practical actuator material.     

A finite deformation constitutive model for shape memory polymers based on Hencky strain

In many engineering applications, shape memory polymers (SMPs) usually undergo arbitrary thermomechanical loadings at finite deformation. Thus, development of 3D constitutive models for SMPs within the finite deformation regime has attracted a great deal of interest. In this paper, based on the classical framework of thermodynamics of irreversible processes, employing the logarithmic (or Hencky) strain as a more physical measure of strain, a 3D large-strain macromechanical model is presented. In the constitutive model development, we adopt a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into elastic and stored parts. In addition, employing the averaging scheme, the logarithmic elastic strain tensor is decomposed into the rubbery and glassy parts. The evolution equations for internal variables are introduced for both cooling and heating processes. The time-discrete form of the proposed model in the implicit form is also presented. Comparing the predicted results with experimental data reported in the literature, the model is validated. Finally, using the finite element method, two boundary value problems e.g., a 3D beam and a medical stent made of SMPs are numerically simulated.     

Degeneration and rejuvenation of shape memory effect associated with the precipitation of coherent nano-particles in a Co-Ni-Si shape memory alloy

In a solution treated Co-20Ni-6Si shape memory alloy,coherent nano-particles were precipitated after annealing at 873 K for 1 min,but the shape memory effect almost vanished.It is attributed to that the coherent nano-particles not only suppressed the stress-induced face-centered cubic to close-packed hexagonal martensite transformation but also damaged the crystallographic reversibility of reverse martensite transformation.After further annealing at 1073 K for 1 min,the shape memory effect was reju-venated owing to the dissolution of nano-particles.Besides,the recovery strain significantly increased to 5.1％ from the solution treatment of 3.1％ after annealing at 1073 K for 1 min.     

A study on the hot workability of wrought NiTi shape memory alloy

The hot workability of a wrought 49.8 Ni-50.2 Ti (at pct) alloy was assessed using the hot compression tests in temperature range of 700-1000 °C, strain rate of 0.001-1 s⁻¹, and the total strain of 0.7. The constitutive equations of Arrhenius-type hyperbolic-sine function was used to describe the flow stress as a function of strain rate and temperature. The preferable regions for hot workability of the alloy were achieved at Z (Zener-Holloman parameter) values of about 10⁹-10¹³ corresponding to the peak efficiency of 20-30% in the processing map. However, a narrow area in the processing map including the deformation temperature of 1000 °C and strain rate of 1 s⁻¹ is inconsistent with the related Z values. A flow instability region was observed at high Z values. Further instability regions were found at low temperature of 700 °C and low strain rates of 0.01-0.001 s⁻¹ as well as at high temperature of 1000 °C and high strain rate of 1 s⁻¹. The apparent feature of flow curves, the low value of peak efficiency, the similarity between the estimated apparent activation energy of deformation and that of the self diffusion of Ti in Ni, and the stress exponent of higher than 5, suggested that dynamic recovery (DRV) is the dominant restoration phenomenon during the hot working of the alloy.