Abstract
Currently, energy demand is more significant than ever due to population growth and advances in recent technologies. In order to supply more energy while maintaining a healthy environment, renewable energy resources are employed. This paper proposes a novel solar-driven shape memory alloy thermomechanical actuator as an eco-friendly solution for solar thermal applications. The proposed actuator was assessed numerically and experimentally. The numerical tests showed that the designed actuation mechanism’s inner temperature has a minimum variation per day of about 14 °C and a temperature variation of 19 °C for most days of the year, which allows for proper activation and deactivation of the actuator. As for the experimental tests, the presented actuation mechanism achieved a bi-directional force of over 150 N, where the inner temperatures of the actuator were recorded at about 70.5 °C while pushing forces and 28.9 °C while pulling forces. Additionally, a displacement of about 127 mm was achieved as the internal temperature of the actuator reached 70.4 °C. The work presented adds to the body of knowledge of a novel solar-based self-driven actuation mechanism that facilitates various applications for solar thermal systems.