Process for producing a reversible deformation of at least one pair of solid bodies made of pseudoelastic or shape-memorising material by application of a differential temperature gradient and device for implementing this process

Process for producing a reversible deformation of at least one pair of solid bodies made of pseudoelastic or shape-memorising material by the application of a differential temperature gradient and a device for implementing this process. Process characterised in that it consists in prestressing the bodies 1 to promote the martensitic transformation in certain directions, so that the internal prestresses of a body 1 are identical but in opposition in relation to those of the other body 1 of one pair of bodies 1, and in then inducing the said martensitic transformation by a differential temperature gradient imposed between the bodies 1 of at least one pair of bodies 1, the thermal heating of one body 1 resulting in a decrease in the quantity of martensite and the cooling of one body 1 resulting in an increase in the quantity of martensite, the temperature of the ambient environment TA being higher than the temperature of onset of martensitic transformation MS. LA PRESENTE INVENTION CONCERNE UN PROCEDE DE REALISATION D'UNE DEFORMATION REVERSIBLE D'AU MOINS UNE PAIRE DE CORPS SOLIDES EN MATERIAU PSEUDO-ELASTIQUE OU A MEMOIRE DE FORME PAR APPLICATION D'UN GRADIENT THERMIQUE DIFFERENTIEL ET UN DISPOSITIF POUR LA MISE EN OEUVRE DE CE PROCEDE.PROCEDE CARACTERISE EN CE QU'IL CONSISTE A PRECONTRAINDRE LES CORPS 1 POUR FAVORISER LA TRANSFORMATION MARTENSITIQUE DANS CERTAINES DIRECTIONS, DE TELLE MANIERE QUE LES PRECONTRAINTES INTERNES D'UN CORPS 1 SOIENT IDENTIQUES, MAIS EN OPPOSITION, PAR RAPPORT A CELLES DE L'AUTRE CORPS 1 D'UNE PAIRE DE CORPS 1, PUIS A PROVOQUER LADITE TRANSFORMATION MARTENSITIQUE PAR UN GRADIENT THERMIQUE DIFFERENTIEL IMPOSE ENTRE LES CORPS 1 D'AU MOINS UNE PAIRE DE CORPS 1, L'ECHAUFFEMENT THERMIQUE D'UN CORPS 1 ENTRAINANT UNE DIMINUTION DE LA QUANTITE DE MARTENSITE ET LE REFROIDISSEMENT D'UN CORPS 1 ENTRAINANT UNE AUGMENTATION DE LA QUANTITE DE MARTENSITE, LA TEMPERATURE DU MILIEU AMBIANT T ETANT SUPERIEURE A LA TEMPERATURE DE DEBUT DE TRANSFORMATION MARTENSITIQUE M.