3D Finite Element-Based Multiphysics Simulation of a Shape Memory Alloy Hybrid Composite Module

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive 3D finite element multiphysics simulation for shape memory alloy hybrid composites, integrating mechanical, thermal, and electromagnetic effects, validated against experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a coupled, micromechanical finite element model in ANSYS LS-DYNA that accurately captures thermomechanical phase transformations and pre-strain initialization in SMAHC actuators.

Findings

Simulation reproduces hysteresis in actuator deflection

Predicted deflections are of correct order but slightly outside confidence interval

Model shows good qualitative agreement with experimental data

Abstract

Shape adaptive shape memory alloy hybrid composites (SMAHCs) are composites that incorporate shape memory alloys (SMAs) to realize shape transformation. Despite the availability of numerous analytical and finite element models for predicting the transient response of SMAHCs, many approaches exhibit limitations with respect to the thermomechanical coupling and comprehensive experimental validation. Therefore, this paper presents a coupled, multiphysics, 3D finite element approach for the simulation of a SMAHC actuator, integrating mechanical, thermal and electromagnetic solvers in the Finite Element Code ANSYS LS-DYNA. The proposed approach employs a micromechanical constitutive model implemented in ANSYS LS-DYNA, to accurately capture the complex thermomechanical phase transformation of SMAs. A key feature of the model is the ability to prescribe a defined martensitic pre-strain through a preceding simulation step, in which an initially scaled SMA wire is mechanically loaded and stretched to its nominal length. This procedure enables partial detwinning of the martensitic microstructure and provides a physically motivated initialization of the material state. Joule heating of the SMA wires, as well as varying mechanical loads and ambient temperature conditions, are explicitly considered. The simulation results are validated against experimental data and a fully coupled transient staggered scheme model to assess the predictive capability of the 3D approach. The results show good qualitative agreement, reproducing the characteristic hysteresis of actuator deflection as a function of temperature. Quantitatively, the predicted deflections are of the correct order of magnitude, although marginally outside the 95 % experimental confidence interval. Overall, a consistent trend between simulation and experiment is observed, giving rise to possibility of simulating more complex SMAHC systems.