Design and property analysis of a hybrid linear actuator based on shape memory alloy

作者：Zhang, Xiaoguang^*; Hu, Jinhong; Mao, Shixin; Dong, Erbao; Yang, Jie

来源：Smart Materials and Structures, 2014, 23(12): 125004.

DOI：10.1088/0964-1726/23/12/125004

• shape memory alloy (SMA)
• rotation mechanism
• linear actuator
• accumulated shifting
• hybrid driven

This paper introduces two methods for solving two bottlelike problems regarding the shape memory alloy (SMA) application as actuators. These methods are 'rotating output,' which aims to solve the problem of the low working frequency caused by the demand for cool time, and 'accumulated shifting,' which solves the problem of difficult-to-obtain output displacements in a large scale. We also introduce a hybrid linear actuator that applies the two methods and achieves both a strong force and an accurate large output displacement while working at a high frequency based on the SMA wires and DC motors. A prototype of this actuator was fabricated and tested to verify the two methods. This hybrid actuator system dynamic model, which was composed of the constitutive model of the SMA, the electrical and heat transfer behavior of the SMA wires and the dynamics of the linear actuation system, was established and discussed. Our study aims to illuminate the application of an SMA in actuators with the proposed methods with regard to its two main problems. An actuator with a high power-weight ratio and the capability to work at a high frequency, as well as accurate linear step displacements in a large scale, is also presented.

• 出版日期2014-12
• 单位中国科学技术大学