NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF A FRAME EQUIPPED WITH NITI WIRES. PART 2. THE CASE WITH NITI WIRES

Abstract

Numerical and experimental analysis on the vibrations of a two-level frame
structure equipped/or not with shape memory alloy (SMA) wires is presented in this study.
Thise second part of the study, the present article treats the frame equiped with NITi wires.
The structural model consists of 2 level structure with constant height of 350 mm and the width
of each plate 300 mm. The plates are made out of plexiglass plates to create a rigid plan
system and the columns are circular hollow brass rods of diameter 4.00 mm and thickness of
0.40 mm. The sensors are positioned slightly different from the first part, the previous
paper. Vibration system tests are performed in order to investigate the behavior of the frame
equipped or not with NiTi wires and the effect on the SMA wires on the measured signal
shape and amplitudes. Explanations of the the transformation behavior of wires during the
experimental tests are given. Numerical finite element method (FEM) simulations are also
done in the case without and with NiTi wires heated strongly with an electrical current in
order to have a comparison with experimental results.