Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy, has become a focal point in energy conversion research due to its exceptional shape memory effect (SME) and superelasticity. These properties allow Nitinol to undergo reversible phase transformations, enabling it to return to its original shape upon heating after being deformed at lower temperatures. This review provides an in-depth examination of the fundamental mechanisms of Nitinol’s SME, exploring the martensitic and austenitic transformations that drive its behavior. Additionally, we delve into Nitinol-based power generation systems, focusing on the design and operation of Nitinol engines that convert thermal energy into mechanical work through cyclic heating and cooling processes. These engines show great promise for applications in waste heat recovery and renewable energy systems. The review also highlights the challenges faced by Nitinol technology, including efficiency limitations, material costs, and durability concerns, and discusses strategies to address these issues through advanced materials processing and system design improvements. Finally, we outline future research directions aimed at optimizing Nitinol’s performance for large-scale power generation and integrating it with existing renewable energy technologies
DOI: 10.48175/ijetir-3008
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7082016787