S.M.A. Shape Memory Alloy cooling system by Peltier cells

Michele Granito has obtained his PH.D. degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2010. Since then he has worked in scientific project in space an aeronautical applications in particular in the structural static and dynamic analysis field. He has developed numerical FEM model and experimental dynamic test for structural and dynamic response.

Shape Memory Alloys (S.M.A.), due to their interesting and promising features in terms of transmittable forces and deformations, are well doing for themselves for several engineering applications: from aeronautics to civil field, from surgery to electronics and so on. Among the others, the morphing wing field is benefiting of S.M.A.: some airfoil geometrical features (f.i. camber, chord) and some wing characteristics (twist angle, swept, winglets) are, at the moment, object of investigations aiming at producing suitable, remarkable geometry variations thus achieving optimal configurations for different flight regimes. A considerable incentive towards this direction has been given by the advent of above mentioned smart materials, generally guaranteeing compactness, cost and weight reduction, high integration level. Among the others, a morphing application focusing on flap zone chamber control, based on S.M.A. ribbon integrated within the structure, has been carried out and a lab technology demonstrator has been built and tested. However, the intrinsic limit of S.M.A., that is the necessity of a heating and cooling for activation and deactivation, penalized the frequency work range.