Non-isothermal oscillations of pseudoelastic devices

The non-linear dynamic response of a pseudoelastic oscillator embedded in a convective environment is studied taking into account the temperature variations induced, during oscillations, by the latent heat of transformation and by the heat exchange with the surroundings. The asymptotic periodic response under harmonic excitation is characterized by frequency-response curves in terms of maximum displacement, maximum and mean temperature. The periodic thermomechanical response is computed by a multi-component harmonic balance method implemented within a continuation algorithm that enables to trace out multivalued frequency-response curves. The accuracy of the results is checked by comparison with the results of the numerical integration of the basic equations governing the dynamics of the system. The response is investigated for various excitation amplitude levels and in various material parameters ranges. The resulting picture of the mechanical response shows, in some cases, features similar to other hysteretic oscillators, while, in other cases, points out peculiar behaviors. It turns out that the temperature variations induced by the phase transformations influence the mechanical response and that the results obtained under the simplifying assumption of isothermal behavior can be rather different from those obtained in a fully thermomechanical setting. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.