Effect of training on the cyclic behaviour of SMA wire

Abstract Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a new generation of smart metallic materials with numerous unique and widely applicable characteristics. With their superelasticity and ability to dissipate energy under cyclic loading, SMAs are an excellent choice for passive vibration energy dissipation systems. However, due to functional fatigue, the energy dissipation and re-centring capacity of virgin SMA dwindles at a decreasing rate during cyclic loading and eventually reaches a stable level. Since for vibration control applications stable mechanical properties with predictable responses to vibrational forces are preferred, preloading SMA wires for mechanical training is proposed to overcome this drawback. Nevertheless, the effect of training conditions on the mechanical behaviour of SMA wires has only been investigated in a few studies. To fill this research gap, the influence of different training parameters, such as strain amplitude, frequency, number of cycles and prestrain, on the mechanical behaviour of SMA wires is examined. The results show that while a sufficient number of cycles and certain level of strain amplitude are required to reach a stable stress–strain relation, training frequency is the most important parameter for eliminating residual strain.