• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.259-265
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• 2024

Shape memory alloy (SMA)-textile actuators have attracted significant attention across various fields, including soft robotics and wearable technology. These smooth actuators are developed by combining SMA and simple textile fibers and then knitting them into two loop patterns known as the knit (K-loop) and plain (P-loop) patterns. Both loops are distinguished by opposite bending characteristics owing to loop head geometry. However, the knitting processes for these actuator sheets require expertise and time, resulting in high production costs for knitted loop actuation sheets. This study introduces a novel method by which to assess the strain in SMA textile-based actuators, which experience large deformations when subjected to voltage. Owing to the highly nonlinear constitutive equations of the SMA material, developing an analytical model for numerical analysis is challenging. Therefore, this study employs a novel approach that utilizes a linear constitutive equation to analyze large deformations in SMA material with nonlinear geometry considerations. The user-defined material (UMAT) subroutine integrates the linear constitutive equation into the ABAQUS software suite. This equivalent unit cell (EUC) model is validated by comparing the experimental bending actuation results of K-loops and P-loops.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.221-232
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• 2008

This paper represents the final results of a research program sponsored by the European Commission through project WIND-CHIME ($\underline{W}$ide Range Non-$\underline{IN}$trusive $\underline{D}$evices toward $\underline{C}$onservation of $\underline{HI}$storical Monuments in the $\underline{ME}$diterranean Area), in which the possibility of using advanced seismic protection technologies to preserve historical monuments in the Mediterranean area is investigated. In the current research, the dynamic characteristics of two outstanding Mamluk-Style minarets, which similar minarets were reported to experience extensive damage during Dahshur 1992 earthquake, are investigated. The first minaret is the Qusun minaret (1337 A.D, 736 Hijri Date (H.D)) located in El-Suyuti cemetery on the southern side of the Salah El-Din citadel. The minaret is currently separated from the surrounding building and is directly resting on the ground (no vaults underneath). The total height of the minaret is 40.28 meters with a base rectangular shaft of about 5.42 ${\times}$ 5.20 m. The second minaret is the southern minaret of Al-Sultaniya (1340 A.D, 739 H.D). It is located about 30.0 meters from Qusun minaret, and it is now standing alone but it seems that it used to be attached to a huge unidentified structure. The style of the minaret and its size attribute it to the first half of the fourteenth century. The minaret total height is 36.69 meters and has a 4.48 ${\times}$ 4.48 m rectangular base. Field investigations were conducted to obtain: (a) geometrical description of the minarets, (b) material properties of the minarets' stones, and (c) soil conditions at the minarets' location. Ambient vibration tests were performed to determine the modal parameters of the minarets such as natural frequencies and mode shapes. A $1/16^{th}$ scale model of Qusun minaret was constructed at Cairo University Concrete Research Laboratory and tested under free vibration with and without SMA wire dampers. The contribution of SMA wire dampers to the structural damping coefficient was evaluated under different vertical loads and vibration amplitudes. Experimental results were used along with the field investigation data to develop a realistic 3-D finite element model that can be used for seismic risk evaluation of the minarets. Examining the updated finite element models under different seismic excitations indicated the vulnerability of such structures to earthquakes with medium to high a/v ratio. The use of SMA wire dampers was found feasible for reducing the seismic risk for this type of structures.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.51-56
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• 2017

Nitinol, a shape memory alloy (SMA), is manufactured from titanium and nickel and it used in various fields such as electrical applications, micro sensors. It is also recommended as a material in medical for implant because it has excellent organic compatibility. Nitinol is intended to be inserted into the human body, products require a high-quality surface and low residual stress. To overcome this problems, explore electrolyte polishing (EP) is being explored that may be appropriate for use with nitinol. EP is a particularly useful machining method because, as a non contact machining method, it produces neither machining heat nor internal stress in the machined materials. Sandpaper polishing is also useful machining method because, as a contact machining method, it can easily good surface roughness in the machined materials. The electrolyte polishing (EP) process has an effect of improving the surface roughness as well as the film polishing process, but has a characteristic that the residual stress is hardly generated because the work hardened layer is not formed on the processed surface. The sandpaper polishing process has the effect of improving the surface roughness but the residual stress remains in the surface. We experimented with three conditions of polishing process. First condition is the conventional polishing. Second condition is the electrochemical polishing(EP). And Last condition is a mixing process with the conventional polishing and the EP. Surface roughness and residual stress of the nitinol before a polishing process were $0.474{\mu}mRa$, -45.38MPa. Surface roughness and residual stress of the nitinol after mixing process of the conventional polishing and the EP were $1.071{\mu}mRa$, -143.157MPa. Surface roughness and residual stress of the nitinol after conventional polishing were $0.385{\mu}mRa$ and -205.15MPa. Surface roughness and residual stress of sandpaper and EP nitinol were $1.071{\mu}mRa$, -143.157MPa. The result shows that the EP process is a residual stress free process that eliminates the residual stress on the surface while eliminating the deformed layer remaining on the surface through composite surface machining rather than single surface machining. The EP process can be used for biomaterials such as nitinol and be applied to polishing of wafers and various fields.