NiTi-wire Shape Memory Alloy Dampers to Simultaneously Damp Tension, Compression, and Torsion

NiTi-wire shape memory alloy (SMA) dampers, which utilize NiTi SMA wires to simultaneously damp tension, compression, and torsion, have been developed for structural control implementation in this study. First, three reduced-scale NiTi-wire SMA dampers were constructed. Then, mechanics analysis of the NiTi-wire SMA dampers was performed, based on a model of the SMA-wire restoring force and on tension, compression, and torsion damping analysis. Finally, tension, compression, and torsion experiments were carried out, using the three reduced-scale NiTi-wire SMA dampers of different diameters. The experimental results revealed that all of the three reduced-scale NiTi-wire SMA dampers had the ability to simultaneously supply tension damping, compression damping, and torsion damping, and the results were found to be similar to the damping analytical results.