Info on nitinol wire loop?

[floridajoe48]

Anyone have any info/advice on easiest way to connect ends of a straight nitinol wire - w/o welding - to form a loop? I want to make a simple nitinol heat engine similar to the heatmobile/thermomobile designs I see on Amazon/u-tube/ebay. Being a tightwad by nature - I don't want to pay the ridiculous prices demanded on Amazon/ebay.

[cbstirling2]

Could you submit any web address URL on one of those engines? I'm curious to see what you're talking about.

[floridajoe48]

Sorry, cbstirling2. I'm really lousy w/computers. Don't know how to do the "cut & paste" thing.
Hey - try this one: "www.google.com/search?q=nitinol+engine&rlz" & take your pick. Or type in "heatmobile" or "thermobile" or "nitinol wire engine" into your search engine, then select "images" or "videos" or "shopping". Hope this helps.

[PetePeterson]

I played with nitinol wire long ago, and at the time brass crimps were the preferred method.
A quick search from one of the manufactures shows the same.
There is a slight problem if too much current is used, the crimp works loose.

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Pete

[floridajoe48]

Thanks, Pete. I'll check into the crimp connectors. I wasn't sure you could treat nitinol like regular copper wire - titanium being such a peculiar metal, & since the wire will be constantly flexing around 2 pulley wheels. Someone else suggested heat shrink tubing - which might give the splice slightly greater flexibility to bend around the pulley wheels? The smaller wheel is supposed to be only 3/4" dia., which means a pretty sharp bend in the wire. This design doesn't call for any electricity, so at least I don't need to worry about that.