Efficiency of Nitinol Wire

By John Nice1; NNCI Nano2

1. RET at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 2. National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

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Abstract

This lab activity focused on nitinol or muscle wires  which are shape memory alloys. These wires can be used to lift a weight up a height. Students will explore how the work performed lifting a load with the nitinol wire compares to the energy pumped into the wire by an electrical current. In this lab, the student will calculate the work required to lift the load by measuring the change in potential energy and the energy input into the wire by measuring the voltage across the wire and the current through the wire.  The time needed by the device to raise the load is also determined. The activity uses either a Pasco Probeware or a Vernier LabPro.

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Credits

John Nice, RET at Georgia Institute of Technology

References

NNIN RET Program at Georgia Institute of Technology NSF EEC and National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure NSF ECCS 1626183

Cite this work

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

  • John Nice, NNCI Nano (2020), "Efficiency of Nitinol Wire," https://nanohub.org/resources/33680.

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Submitter

Nancy Healy

Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

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