Mathematical modelling, finite dimensional approximations and sensitivity analysis for phase transitions in shape memory alloys

Abstract

Shape Memory Alloys (SMA’s) are intermetallic materials (chemical compounds of two or more elements) that are able to sustain a residual deformation after the application of a large stress, but they “remember” the original shape to which they creep back, without the application of any external force, after they are heated above a certain critical temperature. A general one-dimensional dynamic mathematical model is presented which accounts for thermal coupling, time-dependent distributed and boundary inputs and internal variables. Well-posedness is obtained using an abstract formulation in an appropriate Hilbert space and explicit decay rates for the associated linear semigroup are derived. Numerical experiments using finite-dimensional approximations are performed for the case in which the thermodynamic potential is given in the Landau-Devonshire form. The sensitivity of the solutions with respect to the model parameters is studied. Finally, an alternative approach to the stress-strain laws is presented which is able to capture the dependence on the strain history.