Study on the Characteristics of a New Power Generation System with the Application of the Shape Memory Alloy Engine

It is necessary to develop the new power generation system using the unused low temperature thermal energy around 100 degrees C from a viewpoint of global warming prevention. Even if a shape memory alloy is bent in normal temperature, when it is warmed, it has the character which returns to the original straight form. Using this character of a shape memory alloy, unused thermal energy will be able to transform into rotation energy, and finally it can change into electric energy. We solved this energy conversion mechanism and the validity of this theory was indirectly verified by experiment. Furthermore, the power generation characteristic of the Shape Memory Alloy Engine was obtained by experiment.