Adaptive Hypersonic Wing (AHW) PRORA-USV Phase B-Enabling Technologies. Requirement & Selection of Materials

This document is written in fulfilment of the activities concerning with the Research Project 'AHW', funded by Italian 'Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell' Università e della Ricerca' MIUR, in the framework of the National Aerospace Research Program (PRORA). It deals with an investigation on Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) materials to be integrated within a hypersonic adaptive wing for Unmanned Space Vehicles. In view of applications where SMA plates and wires are integrated and tested experimentally, a numerical study is herein addressed. Specifically the behaviour of a SMA wire, connected with an elastic constraint, is investigated in terms of actuation forces and temperatures, by modelling the SMA wire through the Body and Lagoudas approach. A non-linear differential equation governing the thermo-elastic problem is derived and then solved by an iterative scheme. The numerical analysis is carried out under temperature constraints given by the requirements from the USV-System team involved into the Research Project. Outcomes from this investigation are used to choose SMA materials available on the market. This report represents the 'AHW' Project Deliverable N.1.