Light-driven actuator using NiTi shape memory alloy

Keita Yamaguchi; Ryosuke Ono; Hideki Okamura

doi:10.1117/12.813635

17 November 2008 Light-driven actuator using NiTi shape memory alloy

Keita Yamaguchi, Ryosuke Ono, Hideki Okamura

Proceedings Volume 7266, Optomechatronic Technologies 2008; 72660B (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.813635
Event: International Symposium on Optomechatronic Technologies, 2008, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a light-driven actuator with high energy conversion efficiency. Ordinarily, light-driven actuators have low conversion efficiency of about 10^-5%. This is partly due to an inefficient coupling of the material itself and the actuating mechanism. Our idea is to use a primarily tensioned thin wire as the material since wire can shrink and stretch in a specific direction. Therefore, we created a light-driven actuator with a wire of shape memory alloy. Using Argon-ion laser to irradiate the shape memory alloy, we checked the energy conversion efficiency of this actuator. As a result, we obtained an energy conversion efficiency of about 3.9% that is far greater than the ordinary value for light-driven actuators. If the reflectivity of the shape memory alloy is considered, the conversion efficiency is doubled to 7.8%. When viewed as a heat engine, 7.8% efficiency corresponds to approximately 27% of the theoretical limit from Carnot's theory.

Citation Download Citation

Keita Yamaguchi, Ryosuke Ono, and Hideki Okamura "Light-driven actuator using NiTi shape memory alloy", Proc. SPIE 7266, Optomechatronic Technologies 2008, 72660B (17 November 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.813635

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