Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators
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 st...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Communications Engineering |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00464-9 |
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| _version_ | 1849234751240536064 |
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| author | Shunsuke Sato Hirobumi Tobe Kenichiro Sawada Chihiro Tokoku Takao Nakagawa Eiichi Sato Yoshikazu Araki Sheng Xu Xiao Xu Toshihiro Omori Ryosuke Kainuma |
| author_facet | Shunsuke Sato Hirobumi Tobe Kenichiro Sawada Chihiro Tokoku Takao Nakagawa Eiichi Sato Yoshikazu Araki Sheng Xu Xiao Xu Toshihiro Omori Ryosuke Kainuma |
| author_sort | Shunsuke Sato |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-24a763dfb8ed439ab31a0ab89ee3679e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-3395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-24a763dfb8ed439ab31a0ab89ee3679e2025-08-20T04:03:02ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Engineering2731-33952025-07-01411810.1038/s44172-025-00464-9Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuatorsShunsuke Sato0Hirobumi Tobe1Kenichiro Sawada2Chihiro Tokoku3Takao Nakagawa4Eiichi Sato5Yoshikazu Araki6Sheng Xu7Xiao Xu8Toshihiro Omori9Ryosuke Kainuma10Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku UniversityFaculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate UniversityInstitute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyAdvanced Technology Center, National Astronomical Observatory of JapanInstitute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyInstitute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyDepartment of Architecture and Architectural Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto UniversityDepartment of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku UniversityDepartment of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku UniversityDepartment of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku UniversityDepartment of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku UniversityAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00464-9 |
| spellingShingle | Shunsuke Sato Hirobumi Tobe Kenichiro Sawada Chihiro Tokoku Takao Nakagawa Eiichi Sato Yoshikazu Araki Sheng Xu Xiao Xu Toshihiro Omori Ryosuke Kainuma Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators Communications Engineering |
| title | Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators |
| title_full | Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators |
| title_fullStr | Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators |
| title_short | Shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators |
| title_sort | shape memory alloys for cryogenic actuators |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00464-9 |
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