Shape Memory Alloy Actuated Cantilever Structure for Sensing in Intelligent Engineering

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) possess a certain extraordinary ability that is very attractive for several applications. Selecting a profile, configuration, size, cross-section, and material in order to meet the functions a structure has to perform is structural design. This paper describes the design considerations for actuating cantilever beam structures using shape memory alloy wire. An experimental arrangement for detecting the behavior of the cantilever beam and actuation properties of shape memory alloy (SMA) wire is presented in this work. The setup is incorporated with displacement and current sensors and the design is validated by computing the tip displacement of the cantilever beam for various dimensions of beam and shape memory alloy wire. Shape memory alloys can be effectively used to actuate the cantilever beam by introducing variable stiffness and providing push–pull effects due to the bias added with the structure. Some geometrical parameters such as thickness and length of the beam and, diameter and length of SMA wire are analyzed in this work. These investigations on the effect of the geometrical parameters are carried out experimentally. The information of beam displacement and the current required to excite SMA wire are communicated through suitable DAQ to the computer. The values of the response of the structure are presented and optimum structural configurations are to be considered to build a smart sensor in Intelligent Engineering.