Comparative Evaluation of Shape Memory Alloy Constitutive Models with Experimental Data

This paper presents research aimed at reviewing and comparing constitutive models for Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) behavior under uniaxial loading with experimental data over the entire thermomechanical range of test conditions. Three commonly used representative constitutive models predicting quasistatic SMA behavior – Tanaka, Liang and Rogers, and Brinson are examined, and are compared with experiments under quasistatic loading conditions. Important distinctions regarding the definition of material constants in these models are pointed out, and the method of obtaining material parameters from experiments is presented. Observations regarding substantial differences between resistive and environmental heating methods of the wire are also presented. It is shown that most of the models are in good overall agreement with isothermal and constrained recovery test data. Several observations regarding the comparison of model predictions with experimental test data and the implementation of the models in a formal code are discussed. Experimental characteristics observed under nonquasistatic loading are used to point out some deficiencies in these models, and the necessity for modeling refinements incorporating these effects is discussed.