Air Temp Nitinol

[gadgetmall]

Notes:The successful development of
commercial heat engines would challenge
at least three competing energy systems in
which considerable money and effort have
long been invested: photovoltaic cells,
solar-power towers and organic-fluid
Rankine turbines. All three systems could
be rendered obsolete by Nitinol heat
engines. According to the latest Navy
figures, a Nitinol heat engine could convert
energy for a mere six percent of the current
cost of photovoltaic conversion. And while
photovoltaic cells are fragile, Nitinol is
tough, and it gets tougher. “Nitinol never
wears out,” says McMillan. “It just keeps
getting better and better.

Liquid Crystal paint supplier http://www.scientificsonline.com/thermal-liquid-crystal-paints.html

My Nitinol supplier   $19.99  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Elastic-Nitinol-Niti-New-Power-Technology-/330696040468?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&;hash=item4cff052014

Specs of this Nitinol: 40 feet of  .020" diameter super elastic nitinol wire. Ideal for power conversion. It is unformed and requires forming before use. This wire can lift 30 pounds almost 30 inches with a ~30 degree F change.  40 feet weight 16.54 grams.  If you want to drive yourself crazy, try to figure out why this stuff is not over unity.  Here's a design that can run your car.  http://www.pacificsites.com/~snyder/Ebay/Nitinol/high_efficiency_power_conversion.htm

Shipping outside the U.S. is $1.00 He ships it in an envelope and i get it in 2 days after i pay .

[Paul-R]

there is a nitinol pdf that was on the Internet and can't find it any more.

NASA has done some stuff on it:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=nitinol&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial

The fourth item, "the effects of thermomexchanicla history..." might interest you.

[Cherryman]

Hi gadget,


I couldn't resist and ordered some as well.


The same as in your link above. 


Now I can play along ;-)

[gadgetmall]

Thanks Paul-R--reading it now .

Awsome CherryMan  . Make sure when you get it to not anneal the whole roll at once . I will help if you need advice
I have had a Lot of Cool Gadgets and Stuff in my days but nothing compares to Nitinol . I don't have anything bad to say about it and Neither do the people who invented(NOL) it except that it would blow the  energy Giants out of business if it caught on..


I was trying to find that info about bending it when its austinite  it give heat and cold when released in that state ..can't find it but did find this :

Stress Induced Transformation Experiment using a Liquid Crystal
The solid-solid phase transformation displayed by SMAs such as NiTi is at the heart of their unique behavior. Students are able to easily grasp the concept of the transformation event when they are able to observe it visually. A dramatic method to observe the NiTi transformation is by employing a liquid crystal that changes color in the appropriate temperature range. In fact, if phase change is the topic of class discussion, the liquid crystal itself is an excellent additional example to consider.
If an austenite wire is loaded in tension, transformation to martensite can be induced. Accompanying this transformation is the release of latent heat. Thermocouples mounted at intervals along the wire can be used to measure the temperature, or a liquid crystal can be used to visualize the transformation front and watch its movement. In a temperature sensitive liquid crystal, an environmental effect such as temperature change impacts the orientation of the liquid crystals. The subtle change in molecular structure affects the wavelength of light that is Figure 3. NiTi wire during absorbed or reflected by the liquid crystal, resulting in an transformation from austenite noticeable change in color of the material. to martensite is shown. The
wire has been painted with a temperature sensitive liquid
To conduct the experiment, acquire NiTi wire (alloy type SE-
crystal so that the
508 (austenite) straight, black oxide finish, diameter 0.02 in.,
transformation front can be
from Nitinol Devices and Components, www.nitinol.com) and
distinguished by the color
liquid crystal (liquid crystal BM/R25C5W/C17-10, 15 g; and
change seen.

[Tom Booth]

I haven't actually held or used one of those Nitinol Thermobile "toys" but somehow they just don't look as though one could develop much torque or power - like maybe you could bring it to a halt just by resting a finger on one of the wheels.

For example, in this YouTube video of a Thermobile type FAN:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlxrOHD49ZQ

OK, it turns the little fan, but the guy can stop it to change the direction of rotation, apparently quite easily, just by putting his finger in the way of the fan blade and pushing it in the other direction. Is this a deception ? Is it just because the wheels are made of plastic and not conducting much heat ? Somehow it doesn't look like 50 tons / square inch of force. Why no videos of this stuff actually generating even a little power. Like this "Drinking Bird" toy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq3K6Ma0wIU

Now that's impressive. At least it is shown to be generating some kind of meter-able energy. I would like to see something like that with a Nitinol Thermobile.

On the other hand, if Nitinol has been measured to have 50 TONS of force or pressure per square inch, what would be the force of a .020 wire ? Like 1 ton or something ? 

Has anyone ever tried attaching a small Permanent Magnet DC Motor/generator to one of these Thermobiles to see if, or how much electricity it could generate ? It seems like this would be an easy enough experiment to try.

Anyway, how about an Air-Temperature Nitinol Irrigation pump for third world farmers.

You could probably get a grant. It seems like all the nifty "appropriate technology" stuff is going overseas to some desert country somewhere.

Just set the engine over any body of water that is a few degrees cooler than the air and it will run from the temperature differential. No need for burning all that valuable cow dung needed for heating and cooking to run a Stirling Engine or something. It should work best when it is most needed; (when the air is hot and dry and the fields need irrigating).

Have you tried running your modified air-temperature Thermobile with some COOL tap water. Not ice water but just water relatively cooler than air, with a temperature differential similar to what it would be between any body of standing water or well water and the air ?