Modeling of NiTiHf Using Finite Difference Method

NiTiHf is a high temperature and high strength shape memory alloy with transformation temperatures above 100oC. A constitutive model based on Gibbs free energy is developed to predict the behavior of this material. Two different irrecoverable strains including transformation induced plastic strain (TRIP) and viscoplastic strain (VP) are considered when using high temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs). The first one happens during transformation at high levels of stress and the second one is related to the creep which is rate-dependent. The developed model is implemented for NiTiHf under uniaxial loading. Finite difference method is utilized to solve the proposed equations. The material parameters in the equations are calibrated from experimental data. Simulation results are captured to investigate the superelastic behavior of NiTiHf. The extracted results are compared with experimental tests of isobaric heating and cooling at different levels of stress and also superelastic tests at different levels of temperature. More results are generated to investigate the capability of the proposed model in the prediction of the irrecoverable strain after full transformation in HTSMAs

A COMPLIANT ANKLE-FOOT ORTHOSIS (AFO) BASED ON MULTI-AXIAL LOADING OF SUPERELASTIC SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS

ABSTRACT This paper presents a novel actuation solution to address the drop foot disorder. The proposed actuator consists of a superelastic Nitinol rod with a variable torsional stiffness that is adjusted by the controlled application of an axial load. The superelastic SMA element enables the AFO to provide sufficient torque during dorsiflexion to raise the foot. The provided torque at the ankle joint assists the patient in walking more naturally and subsequently prevents further issues such as muscle atrophy. By appraising experimental data of the human gait, ankle stiffness is assessed in order to compare ankle behavior for various walking speeds during the swing phase. The adjustable compliance concept for the AFO is then explained, followed by a description of the actuation mechanism and complex loading configuration. Numerical modeling is also presented for the superelastic element of the AFO under specified multiaxial torsion-tension loading. Simulations are performed in MATLAB and variable stiffness results are compared with experimental data for verification

COMBINED SENSING AND ACTUATION: A NEW CONTROL LABORATORY EXPERIMENT

Abstract This paper describes a new control experiment developed for Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students. The experiment with a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuated robotic arm is designed for the senior undergraduate laboratory (ME4006) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. ME4006 is designed to provide the students with experience in experimental investigation of mechanical engineering systems. In designing this control experiment it was intended for the students to have a hands-on experiment with smart materials. Furthermore, students learn about control problems and limitations of theses materials along with sensing and actuation advantages of the SMAs. The experiment uses a problem solving approach; students are not given a procedure to follow for conducting the experiment. The problem is described in a memorandum to the students from a supervisor, who defines the purpose of the problem and defines the audience for the report. Background As smart materials are changing the practice of Engineering, providing undergraduate engineering students with experiences with these materials has become necessary. To address the educational needs, several engineering departments have developed elective courses or laboratory experiments on smart materials. California State University at Fullerton, for example, has recently established an Intelligent Systems Laboratory to provide Mechanical Engineering students with hands-on experience on integrated design and manufacturing of intelligent systems ME4006 (Experimenta

Improving robustness of tuned vibration absorbers using shape memory alloys

Abstract. A conventional passive tuned vibration absorber (TVA) is effective when it is precisely tuned to the frequency of a vibration mode; otherwise, it may amplify the vibrations of the primary system. In many applications, the frequency often changes over time. For example, adding or subtracting external mass on the existing primary system results in changes in the system's natural frequency. The frequency changes of the primary system can significantly degrade the performance of TVA. To cope with this problem, many alternative TVAs (such as semiactive, adaptive, and active TVAs) have been studied. As another alternative, this paper investigates the use of Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) in passive TVAs in order to improve the robustness of the TVAs subject to mass change in the primary system. The proposed SMA-TVA employs SMA wires, which exhibit variable stiffness, as the spring element of the TVA. This allows us to tune effective stiffness of the TVA to adapt to the changes in the primary system's natural frequency. The simulation model, presented in this paper, contains the dynamics of the TVA along with the SMA wire model that includes phase transformation, heat transfer, and the constitutive relations. Additionally, a PID controller is included for regulating the applied voltage to the SMA wires in order to maintain the desired stiffness. The robustness analysis is then performed on both the SMA-TVA and the equivalent passive TVA. For our robustness analysis, the mass of the primary system is varied by ± 30% of its nominal mass. The simulation results show that the SMA-TVA is more robust than the equivalent passive TVA in reducing peak vibrations in the primary system subject to change of its mass

Finite Element Simulation and Additive Manufacturing of Stiffness-Matched NiTi Fixation Hardware for Mandibular Reconstruction Surgery

Process parameters and post-processing heat treatment techniques have been developed to produce both shape memory and superelastic NiTi using Additive Manufacturing. By introducing engineered porosity, the stiffness of NiTi can be tuned to the level closely matching cortical bone. Using additively manufactured porous superelastic NiTi, we have proposed the use of patient-specific, stiffness-matched fixation hardware, for mandible skeletal reconstructive surgery. Currently, Ti-6Al-4V is the most commonly used material for skeletal fixation devices. Although this material offers more than sufficient strength for immobilization during the bone healing process, the high stiffness of Ti-6Al-4V implants can cause stress shielding. In this paper, we present a study of mandibular reconstruction that uses a dry cadaver mandible to validate our geometric and biomechanical design and fabrication (i.e., 3D printing) of NiTi skeletal fixation hardware. Based on the reference-dried mandible, we have developed a Finite Element model to evaluate the performance of the proposed fixation. Our results show a closer-to-normal stress distribution and an enhanced contact pressure at the bone graft interface than would be in the case with Ti-6Al-4V off-the-shelf fixation hardware. The porous fixation plates used in this study were fabricated by selective laser melting

Selective Laser Melting of Ni-Rich NiTi: Selection of Process Parameters and the Superelastic Response

Material and mechanical properties of NiTi shape memory alloys strongly depend on the fabrication process parameters and the resulting microstructure. In selective laser melting, the combination of parameters such as laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing determine the microstructural defects, grain size and texture. Therefore, processing parameters can be adjusted to tailor the microstructure and mechanical response of the alloy. In this work, NiTi samples were fabricated using Ni50.8Ti (at.%) powder via SLM PXM by Phenix/3D Systems and the effects of processing parameters were systematically studied. The relationship between the processing parameters and superelastic properties were investigated thoroughly. It will be shown that energy density is not the only parameter that governs the material response. It will be shown that hatch spacing is the dominant factor to tailor the superelastic response. It will be revealed that with the selection of right process parameters, perfect superelasticity with recoverable strains of up to 5.6% can be observed in the as-fabricated condition

Influence of SLM on Compressive Response of NiTi Scaffolds

Porous Nickel-Titanium shape memory alloys (NiTi-SMAs) have attracted much attention in biomedical applications due to their high range of pure elastic deformability (i.e., superelasticity) as well as their bone-level modulus of elasticity (E≈12-20 GPa). In recent years, Selective Laser Melting (SLM) has been used to produce complex NiTi components. The focus of this study is to investigate the superelasticity and compressive properties of SLM NiTi-SMAs. To this aim, several NiTi components with different level of porosities (32- 58%) were fabricated from Ni50.8Ti (at. %) powder via SLM PXM by Phenix/3D Systems, using optimum processing parameter (Laser power-P=250 W, scanning speed-v=1250mm/s, hatch spacing-h=120μm, layer thickness-t=30μm). To tailor the superelasticity behavior at body temperature, the samples were solution annealed and aged for 15 min at 350°C. Then, transformation temperatures (TTs), superelastic response, and cyclic behavior of NiTi samples were studied. As the porosity was increased, the irrecoverable strain was observed to be higher in the samples. At the first superelastic cycle, 3.5%, 3.5%, and 2.7% strain recovery were observed for the porosity levels of 32%, 45%, and 58%, respectively. However, after 10 cycles, the superelastic response of the samples was stabilized and full strain recovery was observed. Finally, the modulus of elasticity of dense SLM NiTi was decreased from 47 GPa to 9 GPa in the first cycle by adding 58% porosity

Additive Manufacturing of NiTiHf High Temperature Shape Memory Alloy

Additive manufacturing of a NiTi-20Hf high temperature shape memory alloy (HTSMA) was investigated. A selective laser melting (SLM) process by Phenix3D Systems was used to develop components from NiTiHf powder (of approximately 25-75 m particle fractions), and the thermomechanical response was compared to the conventionally vacuum induction skull melted counterpart. Transformation temperatures of the SLM material were found to be slightly lower due to the additional oxygen pick up from the gas atomization and melting process. The shape memory response in compression was measured for stresses up to 500 MPa, and transformation strains were found to be very comparable (Up to 1.26 for the as-extruded; up to 1.52 for SLM)