Improving Cycle Time of Ni-Ti Based Shape Memory AlloyWire Actuators for Robotic

Applications
Abstract
The large cycle time is the main hindrance to the wide spread applications of Shape Memory
Alloys (SMAs) as actuators. A cycle time is sum of heating and cooling times required by SMA
actuator. SMAs require large cycle time due to long time required to cool them.
The cooling of SMA actuator is a difficult task because SMA actuators are mainly used in
miniature applications and cooling by fan or any other external method will make system bulky,
thus negating the use of SMA actuators.
Here a novel method for faster cooling is proposed. It is suggested that this wire actuator be
located inside a Poly-tetrafluoro-ethylene (PTFE) tube filled with grease. Tests will be carried
out to show effects of this arrangement on cooling time.
Keywords:
Methods.

Shape Memory Alloy Actuator, Flexinol, Biometal, Response Time, Cooling

Rationale:
a) Context:
Due to their number of applications, especially in miniature robotic systems, SMA based
actuators can play key role in the development of devices for human welfare. Unfortunately very
little work on SMA is reported from Pakistan. This research can help develop SMA actuated
systems in Pakistan.
b) Motivation:
The SMA based actuators are being used in number of applications in robotics, biomedical
sciences, aerospace, automobiles etc., but still there are some drawbacks that hinder the wide
spread use of SMAs as actuators. The Long cycle time is the main hindrance to the widespread
application of SMAs as actuators. Hence reducing cycle time for SMA actuator is essential for
developing of fast systems.
Problem Statement:
Low actuation frequency (due to long cooling time) is the major issue that has widely hindered
the use of SMA in a number of applications like consumer products and industrial applications
[1], structures and composites [2], automotive [3], aerospace [4], biomedical [5].
The size and shape of the SMA actuator affects the actuator response time, where actuators with
smaller diameter heat faster due to their higher resistivity, and cool faster due to their higher
surface-to-volume ratio [6,7].
The Figure 2 is developed using data from Dynalloy technical data sheet [6].It gives the
relationship between SMA wire diameter, cooling time required and load carrying capacity of
SMA wire.
1

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1000 a
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a
d

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2
0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

SMA Wire Diameter (mm)

Cooling Time (seconds)

Load (Grams)

Figure 2 Relationship between wire diameter, cooling time and safe load for SMA wire actuators
.
As shown in Figure 2, load carrying capacity of SMA wire actuator increases with increasing the
diameter of the SMA wire. However, large diameter SMA wires require more cooling time than
that for small diameter SMA wires. As a result the SMA actuator with larger diameter will have
higher cycle time and low operational frequency (low bandwidth).The bandwidth in SMA may
be defined as the number of cycles of operations performed per unit time.
The problem of low bandwidth for SMA actuators has widely been reported in the literature
[8,5].
Aims And Objectives Of Research
i)

Aim:

Developing faster cooling method for SMA wire actuator

ii)

Objectives:

Following are the objectives of our research work.

1)
2)
3)
4)

Selection of appropriate SMA wire actuator.

Characterization of SMA wire actuator.
Development of experimental setup.
Selection and characterization of Laser displacement sensor and Thermocouple.
2

Research Questions:
What cooling material reduces the cycle time of SMA Nickel Titanium actuator and what
effect this has on the power requirement?

Research Design
a) Material:
1. Actuators
Following listed materials shall be used for conduct of experiments. All are equiatomic
Nickel Titanium trained actuators.
i) Flexinol
This is made by Dynalloy USA. Flexinol has been used in various applications including
robot-eye system [9], prosthetic hands [10], and robotic manipulator [11].
ii) Biometal
This is made by Toki Corporation Japan. Biometal fiber is being experimented for
applications in robotics, micro-gripper, artificial arm, and wing morphing [12]. Biometal may
be used as solenoid-like actuator, analog actuator, bimetal-like device as in; circuit breakers,
intermittent switches, temperature-operated actuators; used as an electronic part, as a general
purpose small size actuator or in some special application like simplified electric discharge
machine or simplified welding machines [13]
iii) Stabinol:
This is made by Flexmet Belgium.
2. Sensors:
i) Thermocouple:
A Thermocouple is a sensor used to measure temperature. It is made of two different metal
connected at same node. When there is a temperature change at the node, a voltage is created.
This voltage may be compared with thermocouple technical data table to measure the change
in temperature. The voltage magnitude is different for different temperatures.The cycle time
of SMA actuator depends upon cooling and heating of SMA wire. To measure the
temperature of SMA wire at any instant, thermocouple may be used. Thermocouple will be
used to monitor the temperature of the wire.
ii) Laser Displacement Sensor:
The Laser Displacement sensors fall in the category of non-contact sensor. It uses a laser
beam to measure the distance an object has moved and the height and width of the object.
Laser Displacement Sensors give very precise and accurate measurements. SMA actuators
are temperature sensitive, upon changing the temperature there is variation in length of SMA
wire which may be accurately measured by using Laser Displacement Sensor.

3. Data Acquisition Cards

The Data Acquisition (DAQ) Cards manufactured by National Instruments will be used
for data acquisition. These are used to transfer the sensor data to the computer.
b) Method
Experimental facilities available at Mechatronics lab will be used. The National Instruments (NI)
LabVIEW software will be used for the data acquisition. All the materials including Shape
Memory Alloys (Flexinol, Biometal and Flexmet), sensors, data acquisition devices and
LabVIEW software are available at the Mechatronics Laboratory.
Following cooling methods will be used:
1) Cooling by letting the heat to transfer to the environment without using a sink
2) Using grease as coolant
3) Using oil as a coolant
SMA wire will be inserted in a Poly-Tetra-Flouro-Ethylene (PTFE) tube. We will inject grease in
the tube, such that the SMA wire is totally covered with the thermal. The grease will draw out
heat from the SMA wire and thereby making it cool. The SMA wire will be heated using
electrical current.
PTFE tube is selected because, it is soft, it can work at high temperature, its non-stick, it has low
co-efficient of friction, therefore, it will offer less friction to expansion and contraction of SMA
wire.
The PTFE tube can be formed into helical shape which can make SMA able to be used in
applications where small length is available

Literature review
Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) or Smart Alloy was first discovered by Arne lander in 1932
[14]. The importance of Shape Memory Materials (SMMs) was not recognized until William
Buehler and Federick Wang revealed the Shape Memory Effect in Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) based
alloy in 1962 [15,16].
SMAs are group of metallic alloys that can return to their original form (shape and/or size) when
subjected to a memorization process between two transformation phases. This transformation
phenomenon is known as Shape Memory Effect [8].
The Shape Memory Effect (SME) is caused by a phase transition between two crystalline phases;
a low temperature phase called Martensite, and a high temperature phase called Austenite (see
Fig. 1). In a typical SMA like Nickel-Titanium, the two phases have different resistivity. This
causes a phase-related change in resistance as an SMA element is heated or cooled. [17]

The phase
change is
a
molecular

rearrangement. In
an SMA is
Fig. 1 Austanite to Martensite Transformation
a solid state phase
change, in
which molecular rearrangement takes place, but molecules remain closely packed so that the
object remains solid.
Due to their unique and superior properties, SMAs have drawn a significant attention and interest
in recent years in a broad range of commercial applications, like consumer products and
industrial applications [1], structures and composites [2], automotive [3], aerospace [4] and
biomedical [5]. However there are some drawbacks that hinder the wide spread use of SMA as
actuators. These drawbacks include like low operational frequency and narrow bandwidth
[12].The Bandwidth is low due to higher time required for heating and cooling [12].The
literature review reveals that amongst other drawbacks that hinder the widespread use of SMAs
as actuators, the higher cooling time required by the SMA actuators is at the top.
References:
1

[1] Wu MH, Schetky LM. Industrial applications for shape memory alloys. In: International
conference on shape memory and superelastic technologies. Pacific Grove, California, USA;
2000. p. 17182
[2] Furuya Y. Design and material evaluation of shape memory composites. Intell Mater Syst
Struct 1996;7:32130.
[3] Butera F, Coda A, Vergani G. Shape memory actuators for automotive applications. In:
Nanotec IT newsletter. Roma: AIRI/nanotec IT; 2007. p. 126.
[4] Bil C, Massey K, Abdullah EJ. Wing morphing control with shape memory alloy actuators. J
Intell Mater Syst Struct 2013;24:87998.
[5] Jan Van Humbeeck: Non-medical Applications Of Shape Memory Alloys; Materials Science
and Engineering A273 275 (1999) 134 148 Elsevier Limited.
[6] Technical Characteristics of FLEXINOL: DYNALLOY, Inc. Makers of Dynamic Alloys.
www.dynalloy.com.
[7] An L, Huang WM, Fu YQ, Guo NQ. A note on size effect in actuating NiTi shape memory
alloys by electrical current. Mater Des 2008;29:14327.
[8] Jaronie Mohd. Jani, Martin Leary, Aleksandar Subic, Mark A. Gibson. A review of Shape
Memory Alloy Research, Applications, and Opportunities. Elsevier Ltd.
[9] Choi, J.M., Son, H.M. and Lee, Y.J. 2008. Design of Biomimetic Robot-eye System with
Single Vari-focal Lens and Winding-type SMA Actuator, In: International Conference on
Control, Automation and Systems 2008,1417 October, COEX, Seoul, Korea.
[10] Loh, C.S., Yokoi, H. and Arai, T. 2005b. New Shape Memory Alloy Actuator: Design and
Application in the Prosthetic Hand, In: Proceedings of the 27th Annual Conference of the IEEE
Engineering in Medicine and Biology,14, September, Shanghai, China.
[11] Ashrafiuon, H., Eshraghi, M. and Elahinia, M.H. 2006. Position Control of a Three-link
Shape Memory Alloy Actuated Robot,Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures,
17:381-392.
[12] Yonas Tadesse, Nicholas Thayer and Shashank Priya. Tailoring the Response Time of Shape
Memory Alloy Wiresthrough Active Cooling and Pre-stress. Published in: Journal of Intelligent
Material Systems and Structures.
[13] Toki corporation Japan; Manufacturers of Biometal.
http://www.toki.co.jp/biometal/english/contents.php
[14]lander A. An Electro-Mechanical investigation of solid Cadmium-Gold alloys.

[15] Buehler WJ, Gilfrich JV. Willey RC. Effect of Low temperature phase changes on the
mechanical properties of alloys near composition Ti-Ni.Appl. Phys 1963; 34: 1475
[16] Kauffman G. Mayo I. The Story of Nitinol: The serendipitous discovery of the memory
material and its applications. Chem Educator 1997; 2:1-21.
[17] Ikuta K, Tsukamoto M, Hirose S. Shape memory alloy servo actuator system with electric
resistance feedback and application for active endoscope. In: 1988 IEEE international conference
on robotics and automation; 1988. p. 42730.

Summary:
Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators are the state of the art technology. The property of SMAs
to remember the original form motivates their use as actuators in a variety of applications, like
robotics, automobiles, aerospace industry, biomedical applications etc. The other properties that
attract the scientists to design the objects actuated by SMAs are, High power to weight ratio,
Noiselessness, Environment friendly due to no emissions of green house gases, etc.
But there are still some serious issues that hinder the wide spread use of SMA as actuators like
low operational frequency and narrow bandwidth.
The operational frequency is low because of the large time required for periodic heating and
cooling of SMA actuator.
The SMA actuator can be easily heated by flowing electrical current through it, but cooling of
SMA actuator is a difficult task.
Various researches have been conducted to overcome the issue but no any distinct solution has
been found.
This research work will emphasis upon generating the techniques and methods that may be
employed to reduce the cooling rate of SMAs.
Flexinol and Biometal will be used as SMAs due to their vast range of applications.
Various sensors including thermocouples, laser displacement sensors will be used to detect the
change in physical quantities.
The SMA wire actuator will be inserted into a PTFE tube. The Thermal Grease will also be
injected into the PTFE tube, such that the SMA wire is covered up with the thermal grease.
Thermal grease will draw out the heat energy from SMA wire, and thereby significantly
decreasing the cooling time. The PTFE tube is a soft having low coefficient of friction and is
able to work at high temperature.