The Chevy Corvette has always been known for using new and innovative materials

like carbon fiber composites in a structural fashion. In that regard, the 2014 C
orvette C7 doesn't disappoint, as it introduces a light yet stiff aluminum frame
that improves vehicle performance while being 99 pounds lighter than its predec
essor. But the new Vette also uses new materials in a dynamic fashion, becoming
the first vehicle to use the GM-developed lightweight shape memory alloy wire to
replace a heavier motorized actuator to open and close a hatch vent that releas
es air from the C7's trunk.
You may have experienced a time when a (usually large) hatch was difficult to cl
ose. More often than not, this is usually due to trapped air inside the trunk li
d. And it just so happens that Corvette engineers were able to solve the problem
with a creative solution using shape memory alloys (SMA) and an air vent.
Made of copper-aluminum-nickel or nickel-titanium, SMAs are smart materials that
can change their shape, strength, and/or stiffness when activated (or enabled)
by heat, stress, a magnetic field, or an electrical voltage. The materials are c
apable of remembering their original shape and returning to it when de-activated.
In the C7, a shape memory alloy is integrated with the active hatch vent to decr
ease the difficulty of closing the rear hatch door. Here's how it works.
When the button to open the hatch is depressed, a small electrical current is pa
ssed through the SMA wire, heating up and thereby compressing the spring. This c
ompression opens an air vent in the rear of the C7 that remains open for as long
as the hatch is open. In effect, the shape memory alloy allows the compression
of the spring to open the hatch vent when the deck lid is opened by the user. Th
e open air vent then allows the user to close the trunk lid with increased ease
by avoiding (or significantly reducing) the air turbulence created when moving a
large solid object (such as a door) in a confined space (such as the cabin of a
car). Once the trunk lid is closed, the electrical current switches off, the sp
ring cools and returns to its original shape thereby closing the air vent to mai
ntain cabin temperature.
The beauty of such a solution is that it reduces the amount of motorized movable
parts, which are usually heavier. Considering that there are about 200 motorize
d movable parts on the typical vehicle that could be replaced with lightweight s
mart materials, The General is looking at significant mass reduction going forwa
rd using SMAs. Of course, the removal of unwanted mass can help improve vehicle
performance and fuel economy.
Specifically, the wire actuator used on the new Corvette is roughly 1.1 pounds (
0.5 kilograms) lighter than a conventional motorized setup.
Smart materials like shape memory alloys offer new possibilities for many movable
vehicle features, said Jon Lauckner, GM's chief technology officer. These new mat
erials enable innovative designs and new and improved features at a lower cost t
han traditional motors and actuators.
The shape memory alloy technology is the result of nearly five years of research
and development on smart materials by GM, according to GM smart materials and s
tructures researcher Paul Alexander. General Motors earned 247 patents on the te
chnology.
This is just the beginning, says Alexander. We have many more smart material applic
ations in the pipeline that will bring even more improvements to our vehicles go
ing forward.