Our Product:

Our nickel titanium (NiTi) ground fault indicator provides a hassle-free maintenance system for quickly locating the source of power line failures. The NiTi system responds to shorts in under five seconds and clearly marks the location of problem areas to maintenance crews. When the fault it corrected, the indicator resets itself automatically, removing this time-consuming step and reducing turnaround time.

The NiTi Ground Fault Indicator

Team Tow: William Lefevre, Rod Marstell, Keith Male, Kyle Logan, Rishi Kripalani, Amy Lautenbach, Jennifer Suiter

Team Tow, SLO

Materials Engineering Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

Your source for electrical grid solutions

Phone: 626 533 7800 E-mail: wlefevre@calpoly.edu

Tel: 626 533 7800

Our Prototype:
While our prototype is only in the proof-ofconcept phase, it provides a good demonstration of how the final product will operate in the field. A length of PVC is secured to the wooden base and acts as a rudimentary housing for the pulley and spring system that translates the NiTi actuation to raise the indicator flag. Inactivated, the flag is in the down position and the NiTi spring is deformed. When a fault occurs in the line, current is shorted through the NiTi spring, which is spliced into the circuit. Internal resistance heats the wire to above its transformation temperature, causing it to contract. This motion provides sufficient force to raise the flag. When the short is fixed and the alloy cools, the flag returns to the inactivated position.

SM 495 Selection:
Shape memory NiTi alloy 495 was selected for its high transformation temperature and ability to be set in a specific shape with appropriate heat treatment. While SE 508 may provide greater mechanical work, shape memory is a critical aspect of our product.

For the spring shape, we wrapped the wire around a screw and secured the ends with hex nuts. Three different screws were used and the screw that resulted in the fastest actuation time was used. Our system is sure to exceed your performance expectations!

Heat Treatment & Shape Setting:

The wire was heat treated for two reasons: in order to raise the A f temperature and to set the wire in the shape of the spring. The temperature of the phase transformation needs to be above the operating temperature by a fair margin. Since the indicator will be on power lines outside, we estimate that an A f temperature of anything over 150F will suffice; ours came out to about 158F. Team Tow
Materials Engineering Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 Phone: 626 533 7800 E-mail: wlefevre@calpoly.edu