Part 4/11:
He then prepares to test his design by immersing parts into hot water, which activates the shape memory effect. Paul explains that his current setup includes only one segment of Nitinol springs, which have a single memory—they only remember one shape, either contracted or relaxed.
The core idea is to have the Nitinol wire contract when heated, pulling on the mechanism, which features a cone-shaped element inside a block. As the wire contracts in hot water, it’s supposed to dips down into the cone, causing the connected parts to rock or tilt. This movement could, in theory, be harnessed to produce mechanical work—such as turning a generator wheel.