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ADAPTIVE COMPOSITE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS WITH EMBEDDED SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS FIBERS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 17873
Amount: $560,253.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1993
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
2605-a Ramble Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Liang, Chen, Ph.d.
 (703) 953-2041
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

HYDRAULIC COMPONENTRY FOR AIRCRAFT BOMB RACK AND MISSILE LAUNCHER SYSTEMS REQUIRING VERY HIGH HYDRAULIC PRESSURES ARE BEING DEVELOPED, HOWEVER, TYPICALLY THE COMPONENT WEIGHT IS HIGH AND THERE IS A STRONG DESIRE TO INVESTIGATE METHODS TO REDUCE THE TOTAL WEIGHT. COMPONENTS MADE OF COMPOSITES AND HYBRIDS ARE DESIRABLE OPTIONS IN ORDER TO REDUCE WEIGHT AND THEREFORE MAXIMIZE AIRCRAFT FUEL EFFICIENCY AND SPEED. THIS PROPOSED EFFORT UTILIZES A NEW AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO LIGHTWEIGHT PRESSURE DEVICES, BASED ON SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY HYBRID COMPOSITES. SHAPE INENORY ALLOY (SMA) HYBRID COMPOSITES ARE A CLASS OF COMPOSITES WHICH CONTAIN EMBEDDED SMA FIBERS WHICH CAN ACT AS INTERNAL ACTUATORS TO RESIST THE TENSILE STRESSES CAUSED BY INTERNAL PRESSURE. IF SMA IS USED ON THE EXTERIOR OF A THIN-WALLED PRESSURE DEVICE, AND ELECTRIC CURRENT IS PASSED THROUGH THE SMA ACTUATORS, THE SMA WILL CREATE A COMPRESSIVE FORCE WITHIN THE MATERIAL. THIS RETURN FORCE IS ADEQUATE TO COUNTERACT THE HOOP STRESS OF THE THIN-WALLED PRESSURE DEVICE. THE RESULTING HYBRID COMPOSITE THIN-WALLED VESSEL WITH SMA ACTUATORS IS SIGNIFICANTLY LIGHTER THAN ALL-COMPOSITE VESSELS OR MONOLITHIC METALLIC VESSELS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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