Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators

Actuators are widely used in various mechanical products. However, there have been no actuators that can exhibit high actuation stresses and strains at cryogenic temperatures. Although shape memory alloys (SMAs) are attractive candidates for thermally driven actuators with high actuation stresses and strains, the operation of conventional SMAs is limited to a narrow temperature range near the room temperature. Here, we report the shape memory effect under tensile conditions with a high work output across a wide temperature range of 50-270 K in Cu-Al-Mn-based alloys. In addition, a mechanical heat switch using Cu-Al-Mn was designed for thermal insulation in space infrared telescope, and we demonstrated the operation at around 100 K. These results indicate that Cu-Al-Mn SMAs are potential cryogenic actuators with high actuation stress and strain that would contribute to the development of low temperature technologies in various fields including space astronomy, superconductivity, and liquefied gas industry.

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Publication Details

Journal
Communications Engineering
Published
2025-07-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00464-9
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Shape Memory Alloy Transformations
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.04

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article

Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators

Eiichi Sato, Hirobumi Tobe, Sheng Xu, Shunsuke A. Sato et al.
2 citations
Communications Engineering
Shape Memory Alloy Transformations
1.04
article

Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators

Eiichi Sato, Hirobumi Tobe, Sheng Xu, Shunsuke A. Sato, Toshihiro Omori, Ryosuke Kainuma, Yoshikazu Araki, Chihiro Tokoku, Xiao Xu, Takao Nakagawa, Kenichiro Sawada
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Actuators are widely used in various mechanical products. However, there have been no actuators that can exhibit high actuation stresses and strains at cryogenic temperatures. Although shape memory alloys (SMAs) are attractive candidates for thermally driven actuators with high actuation stresses and strains, the operation of conventional SMAs is limited to a narrow temperature range near the room temperature. Here, we report the shape memory effect under tensile conditions with a high work output across a wide temperature range of 50-270 K in Cu-Al-Mn-based alloys. In addition, a mechanical heat switch using Cu-Al-Mn was designed for thermal insulation in space infrared telescope, and we demonstrated the operation at around 100 K. These results indicate that Cu-Al-Mn SMAs are potential cryogenic actuators with high actuation stress and strain that would contribute to the development of low temperature technologies in various fields including space astronomy, superconductivity, and liquefied gas industry.

Communications EngineeringVol. 4(1)
Iwate University (JP), Tokyo City University (JP), Tohoku University (JP), Kyoto University (JP), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JP), Kyoto Architecture University (JP), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (JP), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (JP)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Shape Memory Alloy Transformations
1.04
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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