Nitinol, any use in F1?

[SectorOne]

Apparently it remembers it´s previous state when it gets hot so my question is could it have any use in F1 for aerodynamic parts or similar?



It´s Nickel and Titanium.

(text not written by me.)

[tim|away]

I don't have any knowledge on Nitinol, but it appears to do a transition from state A to state B by applying heat. Does it revert back to state A if cooled down? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this just the old bimetal concept (wikipedia link)?

Assumiung that Nitinol in essence is very much a bimetal, it is feasible that the boundaries set by the regulations could be expanded by applying heat if the car is only investigated in a cold state. It leads to some interesting thoughts, especially regarding exhaust solutions that would otherwise be illegal.

[SectorOne]

Does it revert back to state A if cooled down?

No the opposite, when heated it reverts back to it´s original state.

So when cool, you can modify the shape however you want, heat it up and it goes back to original shape.

Nickel titanium, also known as nitinol, is a metal alloy of nickel and titanium, where the two elements are present in roughly equal atomic percentages.
Nitinol alloys exhibit two closely related and unique properties: shape memory and superelasticity (also called pseudoelasticity). Shape memory refers to the ability of nitinol to undergo deformation at one temperature, then recover its original, undeformed shape upon heating above its "transformation temperature". Superelasticity occurs at a narrow temperature range just above its transformation temperature; in this case, no heating is necessary to cause the undeformed shape to recover, and the material exhibits enormous elasticity, some 10-30 times that of ordinary metal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitinol

[mep]

Yes, there are applications for this and or similar things are in use or have been used.
However, its borderline with legality.

Edit:
I have to add that it is of much higher use to have something which changes the shape dependent on temperature, multiple times but not just once. So the classical bi-metal or similar materials are more likely to be used.

[SectorOne]

Based on the fact that it can change shape when hot?

I wonder if you could have this in brake ducts, shape it so it lets in very little air, or re-directs air to another channel but when it starts to heat up, the hole takes it´s original shape and lets in more air to the brakes.

No idea just trying to figure out what sort of places could benefit from changing shape during a session.

[langwadt]

Based on the fact that it can change shape when hot?

I wonder if you could have this in brake ducts, shape it so it lets in very little air, or re-directs air to another channel but when it starts to heat up, the hole takes it´s original shape and lets in more air to the brakes.

No idea just trying to figure out what sort of places could benefit from changing shape during a session.

that sound more like ordinary bimetal, one shape when cold another when hot, afair an old VW used that to control the
engine cooling air

I don't see how something like Nitinol could work, I'd think you'd need something the that would be the same (legal)
shape when cold both before and after that race, and a different shape when hot during the race

[wuzak]

When it cools down again does it go back to the deformed shape, or remain in the state it returned to after the heat was applied?

[xpensive]

Memory-metal, works pretty much like shrink hose for electrical use, which is xpanded when heated,
then cooled down to retain its xpanded size, but shinks back when heated uop again.

But watch this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKmwLQ6wenI

[SectorOne]

Now that is some cool stuff!

@Wuzak, i have no idea to be honest.
-
What other sorts of materials have these features?

[riff_raff]

Nitinol alloy has been around for many years. But there is not much practical use for it in F1, given current regulations. It is a shape-memory alloy, and as others noted it only has the ability to return once to its original shape when heated. While it has been used as a component in single-use actuation systems, the material has limits with regards to the amount of force/travel it provides.

[SectorOne]

Thanks,

New question,



If you can do that with water, could you do it with air as well?
Could it be used to inhibit airflow from detaching from the bodywork in sharp angles?

Or for example if you have a Red Bull tunnel on the car, do something similar to what is described below?

An electrostatic fluid accelerator (EFA) is a device which pumps a fluid such as air without any moving parts. Instead of using rotating blades, as in a conventional fan, an EFA uses an electric field to propel electrically charged air molecules. Because air molecules are normally neutrally charged, the EFA has to create some charged molecules, or ions, first. Thus there are three basic steps in the fluid acceleration process: ionize air molecules, use those ions to push many more neutral molecules in a desired direction, and then recapture and neutralize the ions to eliminate any net charge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrosta ... ccelerator

[riff_raff]

If you can do that with water, could you do it with air as well?
Could it be used to inhibit airflow from detaching from the bodywork in sharp angles?

Yes, the device is commonly referred to as a "Gurney flap".

[SectorOne]

If you can do that with water, could you do it with air as well?
Could it be used to inhibit airflow from detaching from the bodywork in sharp angles?

Yes, the device is commonly referred to as a "Gurney flap".

I wasn´t thinking of wings necessarily but rather sharp angles of bodywork etc.

[BlackSwan]

If you can do that with water, could you do it with air as well?
Could it be used to inhibit airflow from detaching from the bodywork in sharp angles?

Yes, the device is commonly referred to as a "Gurney flap".

I wasn´t thinking of wings necessarily but rather sharp angles of bodywork etc.

Hi! Just another question. How it is possible to do this also with air??? I mean water is deflected before the ballon touch the water itself for electrostatic reason exploiting the polarization of the water's molecula... Am I right?

I remember that a fluid-dynamics professor of mine called this effect Koanda effect ( yes the famous ).

[SectorOne]

It´s in the quote right below the balloon image,