Shape memory alloy consortium and demonstration

The Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Consortium (SMAC) has been developing actuators and magnetically actuated SMA materials. This paper will summarize the overall SMAC developments, and concentrate on the development of a SMA torsional actuator. This is being developed for quasi-static twisting the V-22 rotor blades for added performance. The paper provides updated results to the 1999 SPIE paper on this subject, including further and more focused development of the actuator that combines thermoelectric heat control with SMA materials.