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At least 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Implementation of Smart Materials for Actuation of Traditional Valve Technology for Hybrid Energy Systems

The ever-changing nature of the power industry will require the implementation of hybrid energy systems. Integration of tightly coupled components in hybrids often involves the diversion of exhaust gas flow. An innovative smart material actuation technology is proposed to replace traditional electro-mechanical actuated valve mechanisms with lighter and less expensive actuators. A shape memory alloy (SMA) spring-actuated valve was designed for high-temperature service to demonstrate the promise of smart materials in control valve applications. With SMA springs only generating a maximum force of 3.2 N, an innovative valve design was necessary. To demonstrate the concept, a 3-inch Nominal Pipe Size valve was designed, and 3D printed using the stereolithography technique. Increasing the electrical current to actuate the SMA springs reduced actuation time. The maximum current of 10 A produced the lowest actuation time of 2.85 s, with an observed maximum stroke rate of more than 100 stroke completion %/s (considering actuation open/close as 100% stroke) at the midrange. The final assembly of the valve was estimated to provide a cost reduction of more than 30% and a weight reduction of more than 80% compared to the other available automatic valves in the present market.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Adhesion of Self-Complementary, Sinusoidal Surfaces Fabricated Using Two-Photon Polymerization

Microscale, pick-and-place assembly is a non-lithographic assembly method poised to impact diverse fields including flexible electronics, microfluidics and robotics. However, a major technological challenge is the need to deterministically control adhesion between parts. Here, switchable adhesion involving 3D-printed, self-complementary surfaces is demonstrated. Mechanical properties of metasurfaces pressed against flat, rigid substrates are modeled using finite element methods. A series of flat slabs and metastructured slabs with 2D sinusoidal surfaces are printed using two-photon polymerization (2PP) of a shape-memory resin. The surface frequency of featured slabs was varied between $3.\bar3$ mm −1 and $26.\bar6$ mm −1 with similar amplitudes. Adhesion between printed metasurfaces and glass and between printed, self-complementary metasurfaces is studied above and below the cured resin’s glass transition temperature (∼45 °C). Simple heating of adhering surfaces to above 60 °C lowers adhesion, and compression of surfaces while above the glass transition temperature followed by cooling to room temperature elevates adhesion. The nominal adhesive strength between printed, self-complementary surfaces, as determined by the maximum observable pull-off stress, exceeds 3 MPa. Further tailoring complementary surfaces for adhesion control may facilitate microscale disassembly for recovery of components or precious metals.

amorphous materials↗
DOE OSTI2015

Neutron diffraction study of the martensitic transformation and chemical order in Heusler alloy Ni 1.91 Mn 1.29 Ga 0.8

In this study, Heusler alloys of Ni-Mn-Ga compositions demonstrate ferromagnetic shape memory effect in the martensitic state. The transformation temperature and the chemical order depend strongly on the composition. In the current work, the structure and chemical order of the martensitic phase of Ni 1.91 Mn 1.29 Ga 0.8 were studied using neutron diffraction; the diffraction pattern was refined using the FullProf software. It was determined that the structural transition occurs around 330 K. At room temperature, 300 K, which is below the martensite transformation temperature, all the Bragg reflections can be described by a monoclinic lattice with a symmetry of space group P 1 2/m 1 and lattice constants of a = 4.23047(7) [Å], b = 5.58333(6) [Å], c = 21.0179(2) [Å], beta = 90.328(1). The chemical order is of critical importance in these alloys, and it was previously studied at 363 K. Analysis of the neutron diffraction in the monoclinic phase shows that the chemical order is maintained during the martensitic transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigations on the electronic transport and piezoresistivity properties of Ni{sub 2−X}Mn{sub 1+X}Ga (X = 0 and 0.15) Heusler alloys under hydrostatic pressure

The resisitivity of Ni{sub 2−X}Mn{sub 1+X}Ga (X = 0 and 0.15) magnetic shape memory alloys has been investigated as a function of temperature (4–300 K) and hydrostatic pressure up to 30 kilobars. The resistivity is suppressed (X = 0) and enhanced (X = 0.15) with increasing pressure. A change in piezoresistivity with respect to pressure and temperature is observed. The negative and positive piezoresistivity increases with pressure for both the alloys. The residual resistivity and electron-electron scattering factor as a function of pressure reveal that for Ni{sub 2}MnGa the electron-electron scattering is predominant, while the X = 0.15 specimen is dominated by the electron-magnon scattering. The value of electron-electron scattering factor is positive for both the samples, and it is decreasing (negative trend) for Ni{sub 2}MnGa and increasing (positive trend) for X = 0.15 with pressure. The martensite transition temperature is found to be increased with the application of external pressure for both samples.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Experimental Validation of Numerical Simulations of a New-Generation NiTi Endodontic File Under Bending

The superelasticity of NiTi shape memory alloy has been used in endodontics since the 1990s. To study the mechanical behavior of endodontic instruments, a traditional approach consists in experimental investigations. However, finite element analysis constitutes another way to assess their mechanical behavior and to facilitate their design. The main aim of this study is to compare experimental and numerical bending results on different structures (NiTi wire, spreader, and instruments) to estimate the reliability of the finite element simulations. These investigations were carried out as follows. Firstly, experimental material parameters identification was performed using NiTi wires. These parameters were implemented in an appropriate NiTi model. Bending was numerically applied to the meshed structures generated by the finite element method. Experimental tests were performed on real structures under bending, with exactly the same loading, in order to compare experimental and numerical results. These results were in good agreement for each of the considered structures. This enabled the validation of the simulation results and the use of simulations to design new endodontic instruments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of laser welding parameters on the austenite and martensite phase fractions of NiTi

Although laser welding is probably the most used joining technique for NiTi shape memory alloys there is still a lack of understanding about the effects of laser welding parameters on the microstructural induced changes: in both the heat affected and fusion zones martensite may be present, while the base material is fully austenitic. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used for fine probing laser welded NiTi joints. Through Rietveld refinement the martensite and austenite phase fractions were determined and it was observed that the martensite content increases towards the weld centreline. This is related to a change of the local transformation temperatures on these regions, which occurs due to compositional variation in those regions. The martensite phase fraction in the thermally affected regions may have significant implications on functional properties on these joints. - Highlights: •Synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used for fine probing of the microstructure in laser welded NiTi joints. •Rietveld refinement allowed to determine the content of martensite along the heat affected and fusion zones. •The martensite content increases from the base material towards the weld centreline.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Synchrotron high energy X-ray diffraction study of microstructure evolution of severely cold drawn NiTi wire during annealing

Microstructure evolution of a cold-drawn NiTi shape memory alloy wire was investigated by means of in-situ synchrotron high-energy X-ray diffraction during continuous heating. The cold-drawn wire contained amorphous regions and nano-crystalline domains in its microstructure. Pair distribution function analysis revealed that the amorphous regions underwent structural relaxation via atomic rearrangement when heated above 100 °C. The nano-crystalline domains were found to exhibit a strong cold work induced lattice strain anisotropy having a preferential <111> fiber orientation along the wire axial direction. The lattice strain anisotropy systematically decreased upon heating above 200 °C, implying a structural recovery. A broad conical texture was formed in the wire specimen after crystallization similar in detail to the initial <111> texture axial orientation of the nano-crystalline domains produced by the severe cold wire drawing deformation.

crystallization↗
DOE OSTI2015

Crystallization study of amorphous sputtered NiTi bi-layer thin film

The crystallization of Ni-rich/NiTiCu bi-layer thin film deposited by magnetron sputtering from two separate alloy targets was investigated. To achieve the shape memory effect, the NiTi thin films deposited at room temperature with amorphous structure were annealed at 773 K for 15, 30, and 60 min for crystallization. Characterization of the films was carried out by differential scanning calorimetry to indicate the crystallization temperature, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction to identify the phase structures, atomic force microscopy to evaluate surface morphology, scanning transmission electron microscopy to study the cross section of the thin films. The results show that the structure of the annealed thin films strongly depends on the temperature and time of the annealing. Crystalline grains nucleated first at the surface and then grew inward to form columnar grains. Furthermore, the crystallization behavior was markedly affected by composition variations. - Highlights: • A developed bi-layer Ni45TiCu5/Ni50.8Ti was deposited on Si substrate and crystallized. • During crystallization, The Ni{sub 45}TiCu{sub 5} layer is thermally less stable than the Ni-rich layer. • The activation energy is 302 and 464 kJ/mol for Cu-rich and Ni-rich layer in bi-layer, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2020

Dynamic Countermeasure Fabrics for Post-Spaceflight Orthostatic Intolerance

Aerospace orthostatic intolerance garments (OIG) have historically been pneumatic (e.g., NASA’s antigravity suit), an approach that inhibits mobility and requires connection to an air supply. Elastic compression garments, an alternative technology, are difficult to don/doff and cannot be worn in a noncompressive state, resulting in discomfort and usability challenges. This research evaluates a novel technology—contractile shape memory alloy (SMA) knitted actuators—that can enable low-profile, dynamic compression for an aerospace OIG. To characterize the functional capabilities of SMA knitted actuators, displacement control testing was conducted on 10 actuator samples with a range of geometric design parameters. Inactive (FI) and actuated forces (FA) were observed by repeatedly thermally cycling each sample at 0%, 15%, 30%, and 45% structural strain. Compression capabilities were approximated using medical compression hosiery standards and anthropometric data from a representative aerospace population (ANSUR 2012). Dynamic compression predictions reached 52 mmHg (single layer fabric) and 105 mmHg (double layer fabric) at the ankle. Low, inactive pressures (p, 20 mmHg) demonstrate that compression is controllable and can be dynamically increased upon actuation up to 33 mmHg in a single layer system and up to 67 mmHg in a double layer system. The results highlight the potential of SMA knitted actuators to enable low-profile, dynamic compression garments that can reach medically therapeutic pressures on an aerospace population to counteract OI symptoms. In addition to astronautic applications, this technology demonstrates widespread terrestrial medical and high-performance aircraft applicability.

Orthostatic intolerance↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluating sealability of blended smart polymer and fiber additive for geothermal drilling with the effect of fracture opening size

Geothermal formations often contain extensive fracture networks. These fracture networks contribute to the significant loss of drilling fluids during geothermal drilling. Multiple loss circulation materials (LCM) such as fiber, granules, and pills have been proposed to tackle this problem but with only limited success. Recent advances in materials science have led to the development of thermoset shape memory polymers (SMP) to address the lost circulation problem. In this paper, we evaluate a thermoset SMP performance in sealing near wellbore fractures of different sizes in geothermal wells. The SMP performance was assessed using granite disks and cylindrical granite cores having fracture sizes of 1000 μm and 3000 μm. A static filtration test was performed using cedar fiber, CaCO 3 , and SMP. Results showed cedar fiber performed better than the CaCO 3 ., reducing fluid loss by 89% and improving sealing pressure by 200 psi. A novel dynamic testing unit that allows for high-temperature testing under flowing conditions was used in this study. The analysis showed that 3% by weight SMP and fiber blends could bridge and plug the 1000 μm fracture. For a larger fracture of 3000 μm width, there was a need to increase the weight concentration of the SMP to 6% to plug the fracture opening effectively. We showed the influence of key parameters such as the type of LCM, concentration, and particle size distribution in optimizing the performance of drilling fluid loss treatment.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bifurcation characteristics and safe basin of MSMA microgripper subjected to stochastic excitation

A kind of magnetic shape memory alloy (MSMA) microgripper is proposed in this paper, and its nonlinear dynamic characteristics are studied when the stochastic perturbation is considered. Nonlinear differential items are introduced to explain the hysteretic phenomena of MSMA, and the constructive relationships among strain, stress, and magnetic field intensity are obtained by the partial least-square regression method. The nonlinear dynamic model of a MSMA microgripper subjected to in-plane stochastic excitation is developed. The stationary probability density function of the system’s response is obtained, the transition sets of the system are determined, and the conditions of stochastic bifurcation are obtained. The homoclinic and heteroclinic orbits of the system are given, and the boundary of the system’s safe basin is obtained by stochastic Melnikov integral method. The numerical and experimental results show that the system’s motion depends on its parameters, and stochastic Hopf bifurcation appears in the variation of the parameters; the area of the safe basin decreases with the increase of the stochastic excitation, and the boundary of the safe basin becomes fractal. The results of this paper are helpful for the application of MSMA microgripper in engineering fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

LPBF Processability of NiTiHf Alloys: Systematic Modeling and Single-Track Studies

Research into the processability of NiTiHf high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is limited; nevertheless, these alloys show promise for applications in extreme environments. This study aims to address this limitation by investigating the printability of four NiTiHf alloys with varying Hf content (1, 2, 15, and 20 at. %) to assess their suitability for LPBF applications. Solidification cracking is one of the main limiting factors in LPBF processes, which occurs during the final stage of solidification. To investigate the effect of alloy composition on printability, this study focuses on this defect via a combination of computational modeling and experimental validation. To this end, solidification cracking susceptibility is calculated as Kou’s index and Scheil–Gulliver model, implemented in Thermo-Calc/2022a software. An innovative powder-free experimental method through laser remelting was conducted on bare NiTiHf ingots to validate the parameter impacts of the LPBF process. The result is the processability window with no cracking likelihood under diverse LPBF conditions, including laser power and scan speed. This comprehensive investigation enhances our understanding of the processability challenges and opportunities for NiTiHf HTSMAs in advanced engineering applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Atomic Layer-Deposited TiO{sub 2} Coatings on NiTi Surface

NiTi shape-memory alloys may release poisonous Ni ions at the alloys’ surface. In an attempt to prepare a well-performing surface layer on an NiTi sample, the thermally grown TiO{sub 2} layer, which formed during the heat treatment of NiTi, was removed and replaced with a new TiO{sub 2} layer prepared using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it was found that the ALD layer prepared at as low a temperature as 100 °C contained Ti in oxidation states + 4 and + 3. As for static corrosion properties of the ALD-coated NiTi samples, they further improved compared to those covered by thermally grown oxide. The corrosion rate of samples with thermally grown oxide was 1.05 × 10{sup −5} mm/year, whereas the corrosion rate of the ALD-coated samples turned out to be about five times lower. However, cracking of the ALD coating occurred at about 1.5% strain during the superelastic mechanical loading in tension taking place via the propagation of a localized martensite band.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Basics and prospective of magnetic Heusler compounds

Heusler compounds are a remarkable class of materials with more than 1000 members and a wide range of extraordinary multi-functionalities including halfmetallic high-temperature ferri- and ferromagnets, multi-ferroics, shape memory alloys, and tunable topological insulators with a high potential for spintronics, energy technologies, and magneto-caloric applications. The tunability of this class of materials is exceptional and nearly every functionality can be designed. Co{sub 2}-Heusler compounds show high spin polarization in tunnel junction devices and spin-resolved photoemission. Manganese-rich Heusler compounds attract much interest in the context of spin transfer torque, spin Hall effect, and rare earth free hard magnets. Most Mn{sub 2}-Heusler compounds crystallize in the inverse structure and are characterized by antiparallel coupling of magnetic moments on Mn atoms; the ferrimagnetic order and the lack of inversion symmetry lead to the emergence of new properties that are absent in ferromagnetic centrosymmetric Heusler structures, such as non-collinear magnetism, topological Hall effect, and skyrmions. Tetragonal Heusler compounds with large magneto crystalline anisotropy can be easily designed by positioning the Fermi energy at the van Hove singularity in one of the spin channels. Here, we give a comprehensive overview and a prospective on the magnetic properties of Heusler materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-J-10: Sliding Mode Control of a SMA Actuated Active Flexible Needle for Medical Procedures

Purpose: In medical interventional procedures such as brachytherapy, ablative therapies and biopsy precise steering and accurate placement of needles are very important for anatomical obstacle avoidance and accurate targeting. This study presents the efficacy of a sliding mode controller for Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuated flexible needle for medical procedures. Methods: Second order system dynamics of the SMA actuated active flexible needle was used for deriving the sliding mode control equations. Both proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and adaptive PID sliding mode control (APIDSMC) algorithms were developed and implemented. The flexible needle was attached at the end of a 6 DOF robotic system. Through LabView programming environment, the control commands were generated using the PID and APIDSMC algorithms. Experiments with artificial tissue mimicking phantom were performed to evaluate the performance of the controller. The actual needle tip position was obtained using an electromagnetic (EM) tracking sensor (Aurora, NDI, waterloo, Canada) at a sampling period of 1ms. During experiment, external disturbances were created applying force and thermal shock to investigate the robustness of the controllers. Results: The root mean square error (RMSE) values for APIDSMC and PID controllers were 0.75 mm and 0.92 mm, respectively, for sinusoidal reference input. In the presence of external disturbances, the APIDSMC controller showed much smoother and less overshooting response compared to that of the PID controller. Conclusion: Performance of the APIDSMC was superior to the PID controller. The APIDSMC was proved to be more effective controller in compensating the SMA uncertainties and external disturbances with clinically acceptable thresholds.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Abnormal grain growth of 68Cu–16Al–16Zn alloys for elastocaloric cooling via cyclical heat treatments

Abstract Cu-based superelastic shape memory alloys are promising for low-stress elastocaloric cooling. We have synthesized bulk alloys of 68Cu–16Al–16Zn under different conditions in order to promote its grain growth and enhance its elastocaloric properties. High-temperature x-ray diffraction of untreated 68Cu–16Al–16Zn alloy showed that the phase boundary between the α + β mixed phases and the high temperature phase ( β phase) was between 973 K and 1023 K. Based on this result, the 68Cu–16Al–16Zn alloy was heated and cooled in a furnace repeatedly between 773 K and 1173 K. The maximum grain size after heat treatment of the ingot rolled to 67% reached 11.1 mm. The latent heat of the martensitic transformation after grain growth was 6.3 J g −1 , which is higher than the previously reported value for the compound. The stress–strain curve of 68Cu–16Al–16Zn rolled to 67% rolling with cyclical heat treatments showed a maximum stress of 106 MPa at 4.5% strain, with adiabatic temperature change of 5.9 K in heating during stress loading and 5.6 K in cooling in stress removal. Furthermore, no fatigue in the stress–strain behavior was observed up to at least 60 000 mechanical cycles at 2% strain.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effect of hatch spacing and laser power on microstructure, texture, and thermomechanical properties of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additively manufactured NiTi

This study systematically evaluates the effects of laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (L-PBF-AM) parameters (hatch spacing and laser power) on the thermomechanical behavior and microstructure of Ni 50.8 Ti 49.2 shape memory alloy. The samples were fabricated with hatch spacings from 40 to 240 µm and laser powers of 50 and 100 W at a constant scanning speed of 125 mm/s, resulting in parts with volumetric energy density levels from 55 to 666 J/mm 3 and two sets of linear energy densities of 0.4 and 0.8 J/mm. The results showed a reduced melt pool size and discontinuity of scan tracks with decreased laser power. Additionally, the porosity level was increased with larger hatch spacing and lower laser power. More notably, the transformation temperatures increased, and the critical stress, recoverable strain, and functional stability of samples improved with lower hatch spacing, where the recovery ratio of up to 90% was observed, regardless of the employed laser power. This study also discussed the relationship between the fabrication process and texture formation in the L-PBF-AM process. In conclusion, the advantage of L-PBF-AM was revealed in tailoring the microstructure from highly textured samples in [1 1 1] or [0 0 1] direction when hatch spacing lower than laser beam focused was employed, to the appearance of equiaxed solidification front with island grains and random orientations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Low-field-actuated giant magnetocaloric effect and excellent mechanical properties in a NiMn-based multiferroic alloy

Multiferroic magnetic shape memory alloys with first-order magntostructural transformation exhibit much enhanced magnetocaloric effect which incorporates the latent heat associated with the phase transformation itself, but they suffer from the drawbacks of large hysteresis and transformation interval and consequently too high critical field to actuate the magnetocaloric effect, greatly impeding their applications. Here, by generating a kind of specific stacking-mediated structure of martensite through minor Al substitution to improve the geometric compatibility between martensite and austenite in the Ni 40 Co 10 Mn 40 Sn 9 Al 1 alloy, we greatly reduced the thermal hysteresis and transformation temperature interval while conserving the large magnetization difference between the two phases. Consequently, a low-field-actuated giant magnetocaloric effect with isothermal entropy change of 23 J kg –1 K –1 for a field change from 0 to 2 T, which is among the highest values reported heretofore for all magnetocaloric materials, was successfully achieved. Meanwhile, with minor Al substitution, the present single-phase multiferroic alloy that is intermetallic in nature exhibits superior mechanical properties, including excellent compressive properties over a wide temperature range and a relatively high fracture toughness, which are quite beneficial for practical applications. Lastly, by incorporating the advantages of low cost, environment friendliness and easy fabrication, this alloy shows great potential for magnetocaloric applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗