A plenary presentation from SPIE Smart Structures/NDE 2013 - spie.org/ss
This presentation provides an overview of past and present multifunctional materials research at the Texas Institute for Intelligent Materials and Structures at Texas A&M University. Various research areas related to shape memory materials are introduced, including characterization, constitutive modeling, numerical analysis, and multifunctional component integration. A focused discussion regarding the evolution of constitutive modeling frameworks over the past 20 years is provided, as well as an overview of early shape memory alloy (SMA) research efforts, the "trial and error" period, and rarely discussed setbacks that nearly ended research in this area. Example results from SMA engineering problems are described, some considering coupled physical phenomena. Finally, current challenges will be outlined, while future directions for the use and integration of shape memory materials in smart structures will be proposed.
Dimitris C. Lagoudas is the holder of the John and Bea Slattery Chair in Aerospace Engineering and is the Senior Associate Dean for Research at Texas A&M Engineering. His research team is recognized internationally in the area of modeling and characterization of SMAs. The models that his research group developed have been implemented into FEA frameworks and utilized by industrial and governmental entities as well as academic institutions worldwide.