• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.765-784
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• 2014

In comparison with conventional shape memory actuated structures, antagonistic shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators permits a fully reversible two-way response and higher response frequency. However, excessive internal stress could adversely reduce the stroke of the actuators under repeated use. The two-way shape memory effect might further decrease the range of the recovered strain under actuation of an antagonistic SMA actuator unless additional components (e.g., spring and stopper) are added to regain the overall actuation capability. In this paper, the performance of all four possible types of SMA actuation schemes is investigated in detail with emphasis on five key properties: recovered strain, cyclic degradation, response frequency, self-sensing control accuracy, and controllable maximum output. The testing parameters are chosen based on the maximization of recovered strain. Three types of these actuators are antagonistic SMA actuators, which drive with two active SMA wires in two directions. The antagonistic SMA actuator with an additional pair of springs exhibits wider displacement range, more stable performance under reuse, and faster response, although accurate control cannot be maintained under force interference. With two additional stoppers to prevent the over stretch of the spring, the results showed that the proposed structure could achieve significant improvement on all five properties. It can be concluded that, the last type actuator scheme with additional spring and stopper provide much better applicability than the other three in most conditions. The results of the performance analysis of all four SMA actuators could provide a solid basis for the practical design of SMA actuators.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.127-130
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• 2004

In this paper, active shape control of composite structure actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) wires is presented. Hybrid composite structure was established by attaching SMA actuators on the surfaces of graphite/epoxy composite beam using bolt-joint connectors. SMA actuators were activated by phase transformation, which induced by temperature rising over austenite finish temperatures. In this paper, electrical resistive heating was applied to the hybrid composite structures to activate the SMA actuators. For faster and more accurate shape or deflection control of the hybrid composite structure, PID feedback controller was designed from numerical simulations and experimentally applied to the SMA actuators.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.756-762
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• 2006

Shape Memory Alloy(SMA) actuators, which have the ability to return to a predetermined shape when heated, have many potential applications such as aeronautics, surgical tools, robotics and so on. Although the conventional PID controller can be used with slow response systems, there has been limited success in precise motion control of SMA actuators, since the systems are disturbed by unknown factors beside their inherent nonlinear hysteresis and changes in the surrounding environment of the systems. This paper presents a new development of a SMA position control system by using a self-tuning fuzzy PID controller. This control algorithm is used by tuning the parameters of the PID controller thereby integrating fuzzy inference and producing a fuzzy adaptive PID controller, which can then be used to improve the control performance of nonlinear systems. The experimental results of position control of SMA actuators using conventional and self-tuning fuzzy PID controllers are both included in this paper.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.478-485
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• 2002

The shape memory alloys (SMAs) are often used in smart materials and structures as the active components. Their ability to provide a high recovery force and a large displacement has been used in many applications. In this paper the radial displacement of an externally pressurized elliptic composite cylinder where SMA liner or strips actuators are bonded on its inner or outer surface is investigated numerically. The elliptic composite cylinders consisting of an inlet duct system with SMAs are designed and analyzed to determine the feasibility of such a system for the removal of stiffeners from an externally pressurized duct of an aircraft inlet. The deformations caused by prestrained SMAs placed on either surface of an elliptic composite cylinder are studied when activated. The externally pressurized elliptic composite cylinders with the SMA actuators were analyzed using the 3-D finite element method incorporated with 3-D SMA behaviors. The results show that the role of stiffeners may be switched by the activated light SMA actuators.

• Composites Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.18-24
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• 2004

In this paper, active shape control of composite structures actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) wires is presented. The thermo-mechanical behaviors of SMA wires were experimentally measured. Hybrid composite structures were established by attaching SMA actuators on the surfaces of graphite/epoxy composite beams using bolt-joint connectors. SMA actuators were activated by phase transformation, which induced by temperature rising over austenite finish temperature. In this paper, electrical resistive heating was applied to the hybrid composite structures to activate the SMA actuators. For (aster and more accurate shape/deflection control of the hybrid composite structure, PID feedback controller was designed from numerical simulations and experimentally applied to the SMA actuators.

• Composites Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.45-54
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• 1999

In this paper, an experimental study on the buckling and postbuckling control of a laminated composite beam with eccentrically embedded SMA wire actuators is performed. For the purpose of enhancing the critical buckling load, buckling control is investigated through the use of reactive moment associated with the shape recovery force of SMA wire actuators. To improve the control authority for the buckling and postbuckling control of the SMA-composite beam, closed-loop control is used. The buckling and postbuckling control behaviours are presented and discussed qualitatively and quantitatively on loaddeflection plots considering the stacking sequence of the laminate, slenderness ratio of the beam and activation conditions of the SMA wire actuators. By maintaining the desired deflection shape with the proper reactive moment, buckling control can be extended to the postbuckling of the SMA-composite beam subjected to an external load.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1812-1818
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• 2005

Even though SMA actuators have high power to volume ratio, there exist disadvantages such as hysteresis and saturation. So the model identification for SMA actuators is very difficult. For the qualitative model identification, we described the behavior of SMA actuators using a so-called diagonal model, which can readily expect the turning point of an incomplete phase transformation. For the quantitative model identification, we developed the general dynamics of SMA actuators using the modified Liang's model. Using this dynamics we can describe the hysteresis and the saturation very well. It is also very important to notice that the modified Liang's model maintains a continuous martensite fraction at the change of the phase transformation but the original model cannot.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.189-200
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• 2007

As a functional material, shape memory alloy (SMA) has attracted much attention and research effort to explore its unique properties and its applications in the past few decades. Some of its properties, in particular the electrical resistance (ER) based self-sensing property of SMA, have not been fully studied. Electrical resistance of an SMA wire varies during its phase transformation. This variation is an inherent property of the SMA wire, although it is highly nonlinear with hysteresis. The relationship between the displacement and the electrical resistance of an SMA wire is deterministic and repeatable to some degree, therefore enabling the self-sensing ability of the SMA. The potential of this self-sensing ability has not received sufficient exploration so far, and even the previous studies in literature lack generality. This paper concerns the utilization of the self-sensing property of a spring-biased Nickel-Titanium (Nitinol) SMA actuator for two applications: ER feedback position control of an SMA actuator without a position sensor, and estimation of the opening of a SMA actuated valve. The use of the self-sensing property eliminates the need for a position sensor, therefore reducing the cost and size of an SMA actuator assembly. Two experimental apparatuses are fabricated to facilitate the two proposed applications, respectively. Based on open-loop testing results, the curve fitting technique is used to represent the nonlinear relationships between the displacement and the electrical resistance of the two SMA wire actuators. Using the mathematical models of the two SMA actuators, respectively, a proportional plus derivative controller is designed for control of the SMA wire actuator using only electrical resistance feedback. Consequently, the opening of the SMA actuated valve can be estimated without using an extra sensor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.278-281
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• 2004

In this paper, the thermomechanical responses of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators and their applications as the shape adaptive structures combining SMA actuators produced in the form of strip with composite structures are investigated. The numerical algorithm of the 3-D SMA thermomechanical constitutive equations based on Lagoudas model is implemented to analyze the unique characteristics of SMA strip. Also, the incremental SMA constitutive equations are implemented in the user subroutine UMAT by using ABAQUS finite element program. The shape change of structure is caused by initially strained SMA strip bonded on the surface of the composite structure when thermally activated. Numerical results show that SMA strip actuator can generate enough recovery force to deform the composite structure and sustain the deformed shape subjected to large external load, simultaneously.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.391-395
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• 1996

This paper presents a robust force tracking control of a small-sized SMA gripper with two fingers using shape memory alloy(SMA) actuators. The mathematical governing equation of the proposed system is derived by Hamilton's principle and Lagrangian equation and then, the control system model is integrated with the first-order actuator dynamics. Uncertain system parameters such as time constant of the actuators are also included in the control model. A robust two degree of freedom(TDF) controller using H$_{\infty}$ control theory, which has inherent robustness to model uncertainties and external disturbances, is adopted to achieve end-point force tracking control of the two-finger gripper. Force tracking control performances for desired trajectories represented by sinusoidal and step functions are evaluated by undertaking both simulation and experimental works.