Projects and Grants per year
Grants and Contracts Details
Description
With escalating air traffic (expected to double by 2025), rising oil price and increasing public
awareness of the environmental impact, there is, in recent years, a growing demand for novel
aeronautical technologies to result in more fuel efficient, lower emission, and quieter air
vehicles. Advances in shape memory alloys (SMA) are some of the most promising
developments that will enable better, “greener,” and versatile air vehicles. . Due to their unique
properties, such as very high actuation strain, stress, and work output through reversible phase
transformation, SMAs are one of key technologies for significant reductions in drag and
considerable versatility in multi role capability compared to today’s aircrafts with fixed
aerodynamic surfaces/structures.
SMAs are currently being considered for use in aircraft applications as actuators, vibration
dampers, and sensors since they are compact, robust, lightweight, frictionless, quiet, and
environmental-friendly (no hydraulic fluids). They also have low aftermarket costs for inspection
and maintenance, and high energy density. However, there is an increasing need to develop new
alloys with higher transformation temperatures (>100°C) and higher strength to (i) increase their
operating frequencies and temperatures, (ii) prevent their premature actuation due to
thermal/mechanical changes in environment, (iii) improve their dimensional and thermal
stability, and (iv) prolong their fatigue life.
In this proposal, the family of Nickel-Titanium-Hafnium (NiTiHf)-based high temperature
SMAs will be explored for aerospace applications, in particular, for actuation and aerodynamic
surface morphing of unmanned and micro air vehicles. The primary goal of this research is to
bridge the gap between the astonishing properties of this intrinsically intelligent class of
materials and the challenging requirements of the aerospace industry will be investigated. The
main objective is to establish the fundamental understanding on the microstructure, shape
memory and mechanical properties of NiTiHf-based SMAs to develop novel alloys with higher
operating frequency, temperature range and strength than the currently available SMAs. The
feasibility of utilizing the developed alloys to replace the conventional actuators with functional,
lightweight and energy efficient ones will be explored. The project will also investigate the high
temperature SMAs for functionally morphing aerodynamic surfaces.
In this project, an innovative research program with active participation of researchers from
academia, industry and NASA will be established to work on the development of new alloys and
unique aerospace applications to make significant contributions to the future of aerospace
technologies. NASA collaborators from multiple Mission Directorates and NASA Research
Centers across the country will work with Kentucky's academic experts and students on SMAs.
This project will also contribute to the development of the Nation’s science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce of the future by attracting and retaining
students in mechanical and materials engineering disciplines and providing them with an
opportunity to work closely with scientists of NASA on cutting-edge research areas.
The proposed study is directly related to the NASA’s mission of driving advances in science,
technology, and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, and
stewardship of Earth. Through the proposed study, NASA will be investing in the nextgeneration
technologies for innovation; inspiring students to be the part of the future workforce
of the Nation, expanding partnerships between the NASA and academic and industrial
researchers of Kentucky; committing to environmental stewardship through the development of
green technologies; and developing a critical technology that will make NASA’s exploration,
science, and discovery missions more affordable and more capable to guarantee the improvement
of the current and future aerospace transportation and defense related applications.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 10/1/11 → 9/30/15 |
Funding
- KY Council on Postsecondary Education: $300,000.00
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Projects
- 1 Finished
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EPSCoR: KY NASA Research Awards - Shape Memory Scope
Karaca, H. (PI) & Cheng, Y.-T. (CoI)
KY Council on Postsecondary Education
10/1/11 → 9/30/15
Project: Research project