Electromechanical Testing Machine with Temperature Chamber

• Subject Area: Construction Engineering and Architecture
• Term: Funded in 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 567975514

The proposal for the 100 kN electromechanical testing machine with a temperature chamber highlights its role in advancing groundbreaking research, particularly in the field of iron-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs). This equipment is designed to facilitate high-precision and complex thermomechanical testing, including low-frequency cyclic tests, stress-strain analysis, and long-duration creep and relaxation experiments, all under a wide range of thermal conditions from -80°C to 360°C. Such capabilities are essential for understanding the complex thermomechanical properties and behaviors of Fe-SMAs, which are crucial for their application in innovative engineering solutions. The ability to simulate environmental conditions will allow us to assess how Fe-SMAs and smart components perform in practical applications. Moreover, the integration of currently available advanced features like a digital image correlation (DIC) and portable XRD stress measuring device, the system will enhance the analysis of strain and stress distribution and mechanical response under multiaxial stress and strain fields, which is the case in real-world applications. The spacious temperature chamber will enable the testing of complex geometries, allowing for the study of innovative designs such as couplers and joints, which are increasingly relevant in modern engineering. The proposed instrumentation not only supports immediate scientific inquiries of the running DFG projects but also facilities researches based on sustainability principles, and contributes to eco-friendly solutions in civil engineering by providing required infrastructure for understanding thermomechanical behavior of advanced materials such as SMAs. Overall, the acquisition of this testing machine represents a transformative step forward to smart components in civil engineering, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Elektromechanische Prüfmaschine mit Temperierkammer
• Instrumentation Group: 2900 Statische und quasistatische Prüfmaschinen und -anlagen
• Applicant Institution: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
• Leader: Professor Dr. Elyas Ghafoori