The thermo-mechanical properties of Nickel-Titanium based Belleville washers have been analyzed by numerical simulations. In fact, these components exhibit unique mechanical and functional features due to the reversible stress-induced and/or thermally-induced phase transition mechanism of NiTi alloys. The numerical simulations have been carried out by using a commercial finite element software code and a special constitutive model for SMAs. The effects of the geometrical configuration of the washers as well as of the operating temperature, under fully austenitic conditions, have been analyzed. The results highlighted a marked hysteretic response, in terms of force-deflection curve, due to the hysteresis in the stress-strain behavior of NiTi alloys. In addition, a marked influence of the geometry, as well as of the temperature, has been observed on the thermo-mechanical response of the washer, i.e. in terms of both mechanical and functional properties.

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