Sample records for tangential jet actuators

  1. Tangential synthetic jets for separation control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esmaeili Monir, H.; Tadjfar, M.; Bakhtian, A.

    2014-02-01

    A numerical study of separation control has been made to investigate aerodynamic characteristics of a NACA23012 airfoil with a tangential synthetic jet. Simulations are carried out at the chord Reynolds number of Re=2.19×106. The present approach relies on solving the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations. The turbulence model used in the present computation is the Spalart-Allmaras one-equation model. All computations are performed with a finite volume based code. Stall characteristics are significantly improved by controlling the formation of separation vortices in the flow. We placed the synthetic jet at the 12% chord, xj=0.12c, where we expected the separation to occur. Two distinct jet oscillating frequencies: Fj+=0.159 and Fj+=1 were considered. We studied the effect of blowing ratio, Vj/U∞, where it was varied from 0 to 5. The inclined angle of the synthetic jet was varied from αj=0° up to αj=83°. For the non-zero inclined angles, the local maximum in the aerodynamic performance, Cl/Cd, of 6.89 was found for the inclined angle of about 43°. In the present method, by means of creating a dent on the airfoil, linear momentum is transferred to the flow system in tangential direction to the airfoil surface. Thus the absolute maximum of 11.19 was found for the tangential synthetic jet at the inclined angle of the jet of 0°. The mechanisms involved for a tangential jet appear to behave linearly, as by multiplying the activation frequency of the jet by a factor produces the same multiplication factor in the resulting frequency in the flow. However, the mechanisms involved in the non-zero inclined angle cases behave nonlinearly when the activation frequency is multiplied.

  2. Performance Comparison of Sweeping/Steady Jet Actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirsch, Damian; Mercier, Justin; Noca, Flavio; Gharib, Morteza

    2015-11-01

    Flow control through the use of steady jet actuators has been used on various aircraft models since the late 1950's. However, the focus of recent studies has shifted towards the use of sweeping jets (fluidic oscillators) rather than steady jet actuators. In this work, experiments using various jet actuator designs were conducted at GALCIT's Lucas Wind Tunnel on a NACA 0012 vertical tail model similar to that of the Boeing 767 vertical stabilizer at Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 million. The rudder angle was fixed at 20 degrees. A total of 32 jet actuators were installed along the wingspan perpendicular to the trailing edge and the rudder shoulder of the vertical stabilizer. It is known that these types of flow control prevent separation. However, the goal of this work is to compare different jet designs and evaluate their performance. Parameters such as the number of actuators, their volumetric flow, and the wind tunnel speed were varied. The lift generation capabilities of steady and sweeping jet actuators were then compared. Another set of experiments was conducted to compare a new sweeping jet actuator design with one of the standard versions. Supported by Boeing.

  3. Sweeping Jet Actuator in a Quiescent Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koklu, Mehti; Melton, Latunia P.

    2013-01-01

    This study presents a detailed analysis of a sweeping jet (fluidic oscillator) actuator. The sweeping jet actuator promises to be a viable flow control actuator candidate due to its simple, no moving part structure and its high momentum, spatially oscillating flow output. Hot-wire anemometer and particle image velocimetry measurements were carried out with an emphasis on understanding the actuator flow field in a quiescent environment. The time averaged, fluctuating, and instantaneous velocity measurements are provided. A modified actuator concept that incorporates high-speed solenoid valves to control the frequency of oscillation enabled phase averaged measurements of the oscillating jet. These measurements reveal that in a given oscillation cycle, the oscillating jet spends more time on each of the Coanda surfaces. In addition, the modified actuator generates four different types of flow fields, namely: a non oscillating downward jet, a non oscillating upward jet, a non oscillating straight jet, and an oscillating jet. The switching from an upward jet to a downward jet is accomplished by providing a single pulse from the solenoid valve. Once the flow is switched, the flow stays there until another pulse is received. The oscillating jet is compared with a non oscillating straight jet, which is a typical planar turbulent jet. The results indicate that the oscillating jet has a higher (5 times) spreading rate, more flow entrainment, and higher velocity fluctuations (equal to the mean velocity).

  4. Research on Plasma Synthetic Jet Actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Che, X. K.; Nie, W. S.; Hou, Z. Y.

    2011-09-01

    Circular dielectric barrier surface discharge (DBDs) actuator is a new concept of zero mass synthetic jet actuator. The characteristic of discharge and flow control effect of annular-circular plasma synthetic jet actuator has been studied by means of of numerical simulation and experiment. The discharge current density, electron density, electrostatic body force density and flowfield have been obtained. The results show annular-circular actuator can produce normal jet whose velocity will be greater than 2.0 m/s. The jet will excite circumfluence. In order to insure the discharge is generated in the exposed electrode annular and produce centripetal and normal electrostatic body force, the width and annular diameter of exposed electrode must be big enough, or an opposite phase drove voltage potential should be applied between the two electrodes.

  5. Advanced high performance vertical hybrid synthetic jet actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Tian-Bing (Inventor); Jiang, Xiaoning (Inventor); Su, Ji (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    The present invention comprises a high performance, vertical, zero-net mass-flux, synthetic jet actuator for active control of viscous, separated flow on subsonic and supersonic vehicles. The present invention is a vertical piezoelectric hybrid zero-net mass-flux actuator, in which all the walls of the chamber are electrically controlled synergistically to reduce or enlarge the volume of the synthetic jet actuator chamber in three dimensions simultaneously and to reduce or enlarge the diameter of orifice of the synthetic jet actuator simultaneously with the reduction or enlargement of the volume of the chamber. The jet velocity and mass flow rate for the present invention will be several times higher than conventional piezoelectric synthetic jet actuators.

  6. More Insight of Piezoelectric-based Synthetic Jet Actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Housley, Kevin; Amitay, Michael

    2016-11-01

    Increased understanding of the internal flow of piezoelectric-based synthetic jet actuators is needed for the development of specialized actuator cavity geometries to increase jet momentum coefficients and tailor acoustic resonant frequencies. Synthetic jet actuators can benefit from tuning of the structural resonant frequency of the piezoelectric diaphragm(s) and the acoustic resonant frequency of the actuator cavity such that they experience constructive coupling. The resulting coupled behavior produces increased jet velocities. The ability to design synthetic jet actuators to operate with this behavior at select driving frequencies allows for them to be better used in flow control applications, which sometimes require specific jet frequencies in order to utilize the natural instabilities of a given flow field. A parametric study of varying actuator diameters was conducted to this end. Phase-locked data were collected on the jet velocity, the cavity pressure at various locations, and the three-dimensional deformation of the surface of the diaphragm. These results were compared to previous analytical work on the interaction between the structural resonance of the diaphragm and the acoustic resonance of the cavity. Funded by the Boeing Company.

  7. Design of synthetic jet actuator based on FSMA composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Yuanchang; Kuga, Yasuo; Taya, Minoru

    2005-05-01

    An improved version of the membrane actuator has been designed and constructed based on our previous diaphragm actuator. It consists of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite (FSMA) diaphragm and an electromagnet system. The actuation mechanism of the membrane actuator is the hybrid mechanism that we proposed previously. The high momentum airflow will be produced by the oscillation of the circular FSMA composite diaphragm driven by electromagnets close to its resonance frequency. This membrane actuator is designed for the active flow control technology on airplane wings. The active flow control (AFC) technology has been studied and shown that it can help aircraft improve aerodynamic performance and jet noise reduction. AFC can be achieved by a synthetic jet actuator injecting high momentum air into the airflow at the appropriate locations on aircraft wings. Due to large force and martensitic transformation on the FSMA composite diaphragm, the membrane actuator can produce 190 m/s synthetic jets at 220 Hz. A series connection of several membrane actuators is proposed to construct a synthetic jet actuator package for distributing synthetic jet flow along the wing span.

  8. Advanced Modified High Performance Synthetic Jet Actuator with Curved Chamber

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Tian-Bing (Inventor); Su, Ji (Inventor); Jiang, Xiaoning (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    The advanced modified high performance synthetic jet actuator with optimized curvature shape chamber (ASJA-M) is a synthetic jet actuator (SJA) with a lower volume reservoir or chamber. A curved chamber is used, instead of the conventional cylinder chamber, to reduce the dead volume of the jet chamber and increase the efficiency of the synthetic jet actuator. The shape of the curvature corresponds to the maximum displacement (deformation) profile of the electroactive diaphragm. The jet velocity and mass flow rate for the ASJA-M will be several times higher than conventional piezoelectric actuators.

  9. Advanced high performance horizontal piezoelectric hybrid synthetic jet actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Tian-Bing (Inventor); Jiang, Xiaoning (Inventor); Su, Ji (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    The present invention comprises a high performance, horizontal, zero-net mass-flux, synthetic jet actuator for active control of viscous, separated flow on subsonic and supersonic vehicles. The present invention is a horizontal piezoelectric hybrid zero-net mass-flux actuator, in which all the walls of the chamber are electrically controlled synergistically to reduce or enlarge the volume of the synthetic jet actuator chamber in three dimensions simultaneously and to reduce or enlarge the diameter of orifice of the synthetic jet actuator simultaneously with the reduction or enlargement of the volume of the chamber. The present invention is capable of installation in the wing surface as well as embedding in the wetted surfaces of a supersonic inlet. The jet velocity and mass flow rate for the SJA-H will be several times higher than conventional piezoelectric actuators.

  10. Multiple Mode Actuation of a Turbulent Jet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pack, LaTunia G.; Seifert, Avi

    2001-01-01

    The effects of multiple mode periodic excitation on the evolution of a circular turbulent jet were studied experimentally. A short, wide-angle diffuser was attached to the jet exit. Streamwise and cross-stream excitations were introduced at the junction between the jet exit and the diffuser inlet on opposing sides of the jet. The introduction of high amplitude, periodic excitation in the streamwise direction enhances the mixing and promotes attachment of the jet shear-layer to the diffuser wall. Cross-stream excitation applied over a fraction of the jet circumference can deflect the jet away from the excitation slot. The two modes of excitation were combined using identical frequencies and varying the relative phase between the two actuators in search of an optimal response. It is shown that, for low and moderate periodic momentum input levels, the jet deflection angles depend strongly on the relative phase between the two actuators. Optimum performance is achieved when the phase difference is pi +/- pi/6. The lower effectiveness of the equal phase excitation is attributed to the generation of an azimuthally symmetric mode that does not produce the required non-axisymmetric vectoring. For high excitation levels, identical phase becomes more effective, while phase sensitivity decreases. An important finding was that with proper phase tuning, two unsteady actuators can be combined to obtain a non-linear response greater than the superposition of the individual effects.

  11. Effect of initial tangential velocity distribution on the mean evolution of a swirling turbulent free jet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Farokhi, S.; Taghavi, R.; Rice, E. J.

    1988-01-01

    An existing cold jet facility at NASA-Lewis was modified to produce swirling flows with controllable initial tangential velocity distribution. Distinctly different swirl velocity profiles were produced, and their effects on jet mixing characteristics were measured downstream of an 11.43 cm diameter convergent nozzle. It was experimentally shown that in the near field of a swirling turbulent jet, the mean velocity field strongly depends on the initial swirl profile. Two extreme tangential velocity distributions were produced. The two jets shared approximately the same initial mass flow rate of 5.9 kg/s, mass averaged axial Mach number and swirl number. Mean centerline velocity decay characteristics of the solid body rotation jet flow exhibited classical decay features of a swirling jet with S = 0.48 reported in the literature. It is concluded that the integrated swirl effect, reflected in the swirl number, is inadequate in describing the mean swirling jet behavior in the near field.

  12. The Effects of Sweeping Jet Actuator Parameters on Flow Separation Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koklu, Mehti

    2015-01-01

    A parametric experimental study was performed with sweeping jet actuators (fluidic oscillators) to determine their effectiveness in controlling flow separation on an adverse pressure gradient ramp. Actuator parameters that were investigated include blowing coefficients, operation mode, pitch and spreading angles, streamwise location, aspect ratio, and scale. Surface pressure measurements and surface oil flow visualization were used to characterize the effects of these parameters on the actuator performance. 2D Particle Image Velocimetry measurements of the flow field over the ramp and hot-wire measurements of the actuator's jet flow were also obtained for selective cases. In addition, the sweeping jet actuators were compared to other well-known flow control techniques such as micro-vortex generators, steady blowing, and steady vortex-generating jets. The results confirm that the sweeping jet actuators are more effective than steady blowing and steady vortex-generating jets. The results also suggest that an actuator with a larger spreading angle placed closer to the location where the flow separates provides better performance. For the cases tested, an actuator with an aspect ratio, which is the width/depth of the actuator throat, of 2 was found to be optimal. For a fixed momentum coefficient, decreasing the aspect ratio to 1 produced weaker vortices while increasing the aspect ratio to 4 reduced coverage area. Although scaling down the actuator (based on the throat dimensions) from 0.25 inch x 0.125 inch to 0.15 inch x 0.075 inch resulted in similar flow control performance, scaling down the actuator further to 0.075 inch x 0.0375 inch reduced the actuator efficiency by reducing the coverage area and the amount of mixing in the near-wall region. The results of this study provide insight that can be used to design and select the optimal sweeping jet actuator configuration for flow control applications.

  13. Characteristics of Plasma Synthetic Jet Actuators in Crossflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santhanakrishnan, Arvind; Jacob, Jamey

    2006-11-01

    The plasma synthetic jet actuator (PSJA) consists of two annular electrodes separated by dielectric material that results in a circular region of dielectric barrier discharge plasma. In quiescent conditions, this plasma ring produces a synthetic jet which can be used for active flow control applications. Unsteady pulsing of the actuator results in the formation of multiple primary and secondary vortex rings, the latter remaining fixed or trapped in space. The jet is observed to be formed by the advection and interaction of the primary vortices, resembling a conventional synthetic jet. This presentation examines the operation of the PSJA in a crossflow at three different jet to freestream velocity ratios. PIV measurements in the streamwise and cross-stream planes are used to illustrate the three dimensionality of the jet and associated vortical structures. The strength of the vortex ring is found to vary along its circumference due to interaction with the freestream. The boundary layer characteristics obtained from these experiments suggest that the mechanism of the PSJA in crossflow is similar to an active boundary layer trip. Both the penetration of the jet and effectiveness of the trip action are found to decrease with increase in freestream velocity. The effects of unsteady pulsing and increasing input power on actuator created crossflow vortices will also be presented.

  14. Exploration of Piezoelectric Bimorph Deflection in Synthetic Jet Actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Housley, Kevin; Amitay, Michael

    2017-11-01

    The design of piezoelectric bimorphs for synthetic jet actuators could be improved by greater understanding of the deflection of the bimorphs; both their mode shapes and the resulting volume change inside the actuator. The velocity performance of synthetic jet actuators is dependent on this volume change and the associated internal pressure changes. Knowledge of these could aid in refining the geometry of the cavity to improve efficiency. Phase-locked jet velocities and maps of displacement of the surface of the bimorph were compared between actuators of varying diameter. Results from a bimorph of alternate stiffness were also compared. Bimorphs with higher stiffness exhibited a more desirable (0,1) mode shape, which produced a high volume change inside of the actuator cavity. Those with lower stiffness allowed for greater displacement of the surface, initially increasing the volume change, but exhibited higher mode shapes at certain frequency ranges. These higher node shapes sharply reduced the volume change and negatively impacted the velocity of the jet at those frequencies. Adjustments to the distribution of stiffness along the radius of the bimorph could prevent this and allow for improved deflection without the risk of reaching higher modes.

  15. LES of a Jet Excited by the Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Clifford A.

    2011-01-01

    The fluid dynamics of a high-speed jet are governed by the instability waves that form in the free-shear boundary layer of the jet. Jet excitation manipulates the growth and saturation of particular instability waves to control the unsteady flow structures that characterize the energy cascade in the jet.The results may include jet noise mitigation or a reduction in the infrared signature of the jet. The Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators (LAFPA) have demonstrated the ability to excite a high-speed jets in laboratory experiments. Extending and optimizing this excitation technology, however, is a complex process that will require many tests and trials. Computational simulations can play an important role in understanding and optimizing this actuator technology for real-world applications. Previous research has focused on developing a suitable actuator model and coupling it with the appropriate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods using two-dimensional spatial flow approximations. This work is now extended to three-dimensions (3-D) in space. The actuator model is adapted to a series of discrete actuators and a 3-D LES simulation of an excited jet is run. The results are used to study the fluid dynamics near the actuator and in the jet plume.

  16. Active Flow Control Using Sweeping Jet Actuators on a Semi-Span Wing Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Melton, LaTunia Pack; Koklu, Mehti

    2016-01-01

    Wind tunnel experiments were performed using active flow control on an unswept semispan wing model with a 30% chord trailing edge flap to aid in the selection of actuators for a planned high Reynolds number experiment. Two sweeping jet actuator sizes were investigated to determine the influence of actuator size on the active flow control system efficiency. Sweeping jet actuators with orifice sizes of 1 mm x 2 mm and 2 mm x 4 mm were selected because of the differences in actuator jet sweep angle. The parameters that were varied include actuator momentum, freestream velocity, and trailing edge flap deflection angle. Steady and unsteady pressure data, Particle Image Velocimetry data, and force and moment data were acquired to assess the performance of the two actuators. In addition to the wind tunnel experiments, benchtop studies of the actuators were performed to characterize the jets produced by each actuator. Benchtop investigations of the smaller actuator reveal that the jet exiting the actuator has a reduced sweep angle compared to published data for larger versions of this type of actuator. The larger actuator produces an oscillating jet that attaches to the external di?user walls at low supply pressures and produces the expected sweep angles. The AFC results using the smaller actuators show that while the actuators can control flow separation, the selected spacing of 3.3 cm may be too large due to the reduced sweep angle. In comparison, the spacing for the larger actuators, 6.6 cm, appears to be optimal for the Mach numbers investigated. Particle Image Velocimetry results are presented and show how the wall jets produced by the actuators cause the flow to attach to the flap surface.

  17. Flow Separation Control Over a Ramp Using Sweeping Jet Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koklu, Mehti; Owens, Lewis R.

    2014-01-01

    Flow separation control on an adverse-pressure-gradient ramp model was investigated using various flow-control methods in the NASA Langley 15-Inch Wind Tunnel. The primary flow-control method studied used a sweeping jet actuator system to compare with more classic flow-control techniques such as micro-vortex generators, steady blowing, and steady- and unsteady-vortex generating jets. Surface pressure measurements and a new oilflow visualization technique were used to characterize the effects of these flow-control actuators. The sweeping jet actuators were run in three different modes to produce steady-straight, steady-angled, and unsteady-oscillating jets. It was observed that all of these flow-control methods are effective in controlling the separated flows on the ramp model. The steady-straight jet energizes the boundary layer by momentum addition and was found to be the least effective method for a fixed momentum coefficient. The steady-angled jets achieved better performance than the steady-straight jets because they generate streamwise vortices that energize the boundary layer by mixing high-momentum fluid with near wall low-momentum fluid. The unsteady-oscillating jets achieved the best performance by increasing the pressure recovery and reducing the downstream flow separation. Surface flow visualizations indicated that two out-of-phase counter-rotating vortices are generated per sweeping jet actuator, while one vortex is generated per vortex-generating jets. The extra vortex resulted in increased coverage, more pressure recovery, and reduced flow separation.

  18. Experimental study on the use of synthetic jet actuators for lift control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torres, Ricardo Benjamin

    An experimental study on the use of synthetic jet actuators for lift control is conducted. The synthetic jet actuator is placed on the pressure side towards the trailing edge on a NACA 65(2)-415 airfoil representative of the cross section of an Inlet Guide Vane (IGV) in an industrial gas compressor. By redirecting or vectoring the shear layer at the trailing edge, the synthetic jet actuator increases lift and decreases drag on the airfoil without a mechanical device or flap. A compressor map that defines upper and lower bounds on operating velocities and airfoil dimensions, is compared with operating conditions of the low-speed wind tunnel at San Diego State University, to match gas compressor conditions in the wind tunnel. Realistic test conditions can range from Mach=0.12 to Mach= 0.27 and an airfoil chord from c=0.1 m to c=0.3 m. Based on the operating conditions, a final airfoil model is fabricated with a chord of c=0.1m. Several synthetic jet actuator designs are considered. A initial synthetic jet is designed to house a piezoelectric element with a material frequency of 1200 hz in a cavity with a volume of 4.47 cm3, a slot width of 0.25 mm, and a slot depth of 1.5 mm. With these dimensions, the Helmholtz frequency of the design is 1800Hz. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) experiments show that the design has a jet with a peak centerline jet velocity of 26 m/s at 750 Hz. A modified slant face synthetic jet is designed so that the cavity fits flush within the NACA airfoil surface. The slanted synthetic jet has a cavity volume of 4.67 cm3, a slot width of 0.25 mm, and a slot depth of 3.45 mm resulting in a Helmholtz frequency of 1170 hz for this design. PIV experiments show that the jet is redirected along the slant face according to the Coanda effect. A final synthetic jet actuator is directly integrated into the trailing edge of an airfoil with a cavity volume of 4.6 cm3, a slot width of 0.2 mm, and a slot depth of 1.6 mm. The Helmholtz frequency is 1450 Hz and

  19. Optimization of Synthetic Jet Actuators

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-01-01

    Gallas et al.8 have experimentally validated the lumped element model for two different prototypical synthetic jet actuators using phase-locked Laser ...DNS of Microjets for Turbulent Boundary Layer Control,” AIAA paper 2001-1013, 2001. 8 7. Cattafesta, L., Garg, S., and Shukla, D

  20. Design Optimization Tool for Synthetic Jet Actuators Using Lumped Element Modeling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gallas, Quentin; Sheplak, Mark; Cattafesta, Louis N., III; Gorton, Susan A. (Technical Monitor)

    2005-01-01

    The performance specifications of any actuator are quantified in terms of an exhaustive list of parameters such as bandwidth, output control authority, etc. Flow-control applications benefit from a known actuator frequency response function that relates the input voltage to the output property of interest (e.g., maximum velocity, volumetric flow rate, momentum flux, etc.). Clearly, the required performance metrics are application specific, and methods are needed to achieve the optimal design of these devices. Design and optimization studies have been conducted for piezoelectric cantilever-type flow control actuators, but the modeling issues are simpler compared to synthetic jets. Here, lumped element modeling (LEM) is combined with equivalent circuit representations to estimate the nonlinear dynamic response of a synthetic jet as a function of device dimensions, material properties, and external flow conditions. These models provide reasonable agreement between predicted and measured frequency response functions and thus are suitable for use as design tools. In this work, we have developed a Matlab-based design optimization tool for piezoelectric synthetic jet actuators based on the lumped element models mentioned above. Significant improvements were achieved by optimizing the piezoceramic diaphragm dimensions. Synthetic-jet actuators were fabricated and benchtop tested to fully document their behavior and validate a companion optimization effort. It is hoped that the tool developed from this investigation will assist in the design and deployment of these actuators.

  1. Separation control on the wing by jet actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karyakin, O. M.; Nalivaiko, A. G.; Ustinov, M. V.; Flaxman, Ja. Sh.

    2018-05-01

    Use of jet actuators to eliminate flow separation is experimentally investigated on a straight wing with a NACA 0012 airfoil. It is shown that under the influence of synthetic jets the size of separation zone greatly reduces and the flow separation point displaces downstream. In addition, lift coefficient increases by more than 10%.

  2. Characteristics of an actuator-driven pulsed water jet generator to dissecting soft tissue.

    PubMed

    Seto, Takeshi; Yamamoto, Hiroaki; Takayama, Kazuyoshi; Nakagawa, Atsuhiro; Tominaga, Teiji

    2011-05-01

    This paper reports characteristics of an actuator-driven pulsed water jet generator applied, in particular, to dissect soft tissues. Results of experiments, by making use of high speed recording of optical visualization and varying nozzle diameter, actuator time interval, and their effects on dissection performance are presented. Jet penetration characteristics are compared with continuous water jet and hence potential assessment of pulsed water jets to clinical applications is performed.

  3. Characterization of high speed synthetic jet actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pikcilingis, Lucia

    Over the last 20 years, synthetic jets have been studied as a means for aerodynamic active flow control. Specifically, synthetic jets provide momentum transfer with zero-net mass flux, which has been proven to be effective for controlling flow fields. A synthetic jet is created by the periodic formation of vortex rings at its orifice due to the periodic motion of a piezoelectric disk(s). The present study seeks to optimize the performance of a synthetic jet actuator by utilizing different geometrical parameters such as disk thickness, orifice width and length, cavity height and cavity diameter, and different input parameters such as driving voltage and frequency. Two apparatuses were used with a cavity diameter of either 80 mm or 160 mm. Piezoelectric-based disks were provided by the Mide Corporation. Experiments were conducted using several synthetic jet apparatuses designed for various geometrical parameters utilizing a dual disk configuration. Velocity and temperature measurements were acquired at the center of the synthetic jet orifice using a temperature compensated hotwire and thermocouple probe. The disk(s) displacement was measured at the center of the disk with a laser displacement sensor. It was shown that the synthetic jets, having the 80 mm cavity diameter, are capable of exceeding peak velocities of 200 m/s with a relatively large orifice of dimensions AR = 12, hc* = 3, and hn* = 4. In addition, the conditions at which the disks were manufactured had minimal effect on the performance of the jet, except for the pair with overnight resting time as opposed to less than an hour resting time for the control units. Altering the tab style of the disks, where the tab allows the electrical circuit to be exposed for external power connection, showed that a thin fragile tab versus a tab of the same thickness as the disk has minimal effect on the performance but affects the durability of the disk due to the fragility or robustness of the tab. The synthetic jets

  4. Geometry optimization of linear and annular plasma synthetic jet actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neretti, G.; Seri, P.; Taglioli, M.; Shaw, A.; Iza, F.; Borghi, C. A.

    2017-01-01

    The electrohydrodynamic (EHD) interaction induced in atmospheric air pressure by a surface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuator has been experimentally investigated. Plasma synthetic jet actuators (PSJAs) are DBD actuators able to induce an air stream perpendicular to the actuator surface. These devices can be used in the field of aerodynamics to prevent or induce flow separation, modify the laminar to turbulent transition inside the boundary layer, and stabilize or mix air flows. They can also be used to enhance indirect plasma treatment effects, increasing the reactive species delivery rate onto surfaces and liquids. This can play a major role in plasma processing and chemical kinetics modelling, where often only diffusive mechanisms are considered. This paper reports on the importance that different electrode geometries can have on the performance of different PSJAs. A series of DBD aerodynamic actuators designed to produce perpendicular jets has been fabricated on two-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs). Both linear and annular geometries were considered, testing different upper electrode distances in the linear case and different diameters in the annular one. An AC voltage supplied at a peak of 11.5 kV and a frequency of 5 kHz was used. Lower electrodes were connected to the ground and buried in epoxy resin to avoid undesired plasma generation on the lower actuator surface. Voltage and current measurements were carried out to evaluate the active power delivered to the discharges. Schlieren imaging allowed the induced jets to be visualized and gave an estimate of their evolution and geometry. Pitot tube measurements were performed to obtain the velocity profiles of the PSJAs and to estimate the mechanical power delivered to the fluid. The optimal values of the inter-electrode distance and diameter were found in order to maximize jet velocity, mechanical power or efficiency. Annular geometries were found to achieve the best performance.

  5. Flow and Noise Control in High Speed and High Reynolds Number Jets Using Plasma Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Samimy, M.; Kastner, J.; Kim, J.-H.; Utkin, Y.; Adamovich, I.; Brown, C. A.

    2006-01-01

    The idea of manipulating flow to change its characteristics is over a century old. Manipulating instabilities of a jet to increase its mixing and to reduce its radiated noise started in the 1970s. While the effort has been successful in low-speed and low Reynolds number jets, available actuators capabilities in terms of their amplitude, bandwidth, and phasing have fallen short in control of high-speed and high Reynolds number jets of practical interest. Localized arc filament plasma actuators have recently been developed and extensively used at Gas Dynamics and Turbulence Laboratory (GDTL) for control of highspeed and high Reynolds number jets. While the technique has been quite successful and is very promising, all the work up to this point had been carried out using small high subsonic and low supersonic jets from a 2.54 cm diameter nozzle exit with a Reynolds number of about a million. The preliminary work reported in this paper is a first attempt to evaluate the scalability of the technique. The power supply/plasma generator was designed and built in-house at GDTL to operate 8 actuators simultaneously over a large frequency range (0 to 200 kHz) with independent control over phase and duty cycle of each actuator. This allowed forcing the small jet at GDTL with azimuthal modes m = 0, 1, 2, 3, plus or minus 1, plus or minus 2, and plus or minus 4 over a large range of frequencies. This power supply was taken to and used, with minor modifications, at the NASA Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig (NATR). At NATR, 32 actuators were distributed around the 7.5 in. nozzle (a linear increase with nozzle exit diameter would require 60 actuators). With this arrangement only 8 actuators could operate simultaneously, thus limiting the forcing of the jet at NATR to only three azimuthal modes m = plus or minus 1, 4, and 8. Very preliminary results at NATR indicate that the trends observed in the larger NASA facility in terms of the effects of actuation frequency and azimuthal modes are

  6. Shape memory alloy actuated adaptive exhaust nozzle for jet engine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ma, Ning (Inventor); Song, Gangbing (Inventor)

    2009-01-01

    The proposed adaptive exhaust nozzle features an innovative use of the shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators for actively control of the opening area of the exhaust nozzle for jet engines. The SMA actuators remotely control the opening area of the exhaust nozzle through a set of mechanism. An important advantage of using SMA actuators is the reduction of weight of the actuator system for variable area exhaust nozzle. Another advantage is that the SMA actuator can be activated using the heat from the exhaust and eliminate the need of other energy source. A prototype has been designed and fabricated. The functionality of the proposed SMA actuated adaptive exhaust nozzle is verified in the open-loop tests.

  7. On factors influencing arc filament plasma actuator performance in control of high speed jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hahn, Casey; Kearney-Fischer, Martin; Samimy, Mo

    2011-12-01

    Localized arc filament plasma actuators (LAFPAs) have been developed and used at The Gas Dynamics and Turbulence Laboratory for the purpose of controlling high-speed and high Reynolds number jets. The ability of LAFPAs for use in both subsonic and supersonic jets has been explored, and experiments to date have shown that these actuators have significant potential for mixing enhancement and noise control applications. While it has been established that the actuators manipulate instabilities of the jet, the exact nature of how the actuation couples to the flow is still unclear. All of the results previously reported have been based on a nozzle extension that has an azimuthal groove of 1 mm width and 0.5 mm depth along the inner surface approximately 1 mm upstream of nozzle extension exit. The ring groove was initially added to shield the plasma arcs from the high-momentum flow. However, the effect of the ring groove on the actuation mechanism is not known. To explore this effect, a new nozzle extension is designed, which relocates the actuators to the nozzle extension face and eliminates the ring groove. Schlieren images, particle image velocimetry and acoustic results of a Mach 0.9 jet of Reynolds number ~6.1 × 105 show similar trends and magnitudes with and without a ring groove. Thus, it is concluded that the ring groove does not play a primary role in the LAFPAs' control mechanism. Furthermore, the effect of the duty cycle of the actuator input pulse on the LAFPAs' control authority is investigated. The results show that the minimum duty cycle that provides complete plasma formation has the largest control over the jet.

  8. Integrated actuation and energy harvesting in prestressed piezoelectric synthetic jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mane, Poorna

    With the looming energy crisis compounded by the global economic downturn there is an urgent need to increase energy efficiency and to discover new energy sources. An approach to solve this problem is to improve the efficiency of aerodynamic vehicles by using active flow control tools such as synthetic jet actuators. These devices are able to reduce fuel consumption and streamlined vehicle design by reducing drag and weight, and increasing maneuverability. Hence, the main goal of this dissertation is to study factors that affect the efficiency of synthetic jets by incorporating energy harvesting into actuator design using prestressed piezoelectric composites. Four state-of-the-art piezoelectric composites were chosen as active diaphragms in synthetic jet actuators. These composites not only overcome the inherent brittle and fragile nature of piezoelectric materials but also enhance domain movement which in turn enhances intrinsic contributions. With these varying characteristics among different types of composites, the intricacies of the synthetic jet design and its implementation increases. In addition the electrical power requirements of piezoelectric materials make the new SJA system a coupled multiphysics problem involving electro-mechanical and structural-fluid interactions. Due to the nature of this system, a design of experiments approach, a method of combining experiments and statistics, is utilized. Geometric and electro-mechanical factors are investigated using a fractional factorial design with peak synthetic jet velocity as a response variable. Furthermore, energy generated by the system oscillations is harvested with a prestressed composite and a piezo-polymer. Using response surface methodology the process is optimized under different temperatures and pressures to simulate harsh environmental conditions. Results of the fractional factorial experimental design showed that cavity dimensions and type of signal used to drive the synthetic jet actuator

  9. Modification of vortex dynamics and transport properties of transitional axisymmetric jets using zero-net-mass-flux actuation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Önder, Asim; Meyers, Johan, E-mail: johan.meyers@mech.kuleuven.be

    2014-07-15

    We study the near field of a zero-net-mass-flux (ZNMF) actuated round jet using direct numerical simulations. The Reynolds number of the jet Re{sub D} = 2000 and three ZNMF actuators are used, evenly distributed over a circle, and directed towards the main jet. The actuators are triggered in phase, and have a relatively low momentum coefficient of C{sub μ} = 0.0049 each. We study four different control frequencies with Strouhal numbers ranging from St{sub D} = 0.165 to St{sub D} = 1.32; next to that, also two uncontrolled baseline cases are included in the study. We find that this typemore » of ZNMF actuation leads to strong deformations of the near-field jet region that are very similar to those observed for non-circular jets. At the end of the jet's potential core (x/D = 5), the jet-column cross section is deformed into a hexagram-like geometry that results from strong modifications of the vortex structures. Two mechanisms lead to these modifications, i.e., (i) self-deformation of the jet's primary vortex rings started by distortions in their azimuthal curvature by the actuation, and (ii) production of side jets by the development and subsequent detachment of secondary streamwise vortex pairs. Further downstream (x/D = 10), the jet transforms into a triangular pattern, as the sharp corner regions of the hexagram entrain fluid and spread. We further investigate the global characteristics of the actuated jets. In particular when using the jet preferred frequency, i.e., St{sub D} = 0.33, parameters such as entrainment, centerline decay rate, and mean turbulent kinetic energy are significantly increased. Furthermore, high frequency actuation, i.e., St{sub D} = 1.32, is found to suppress the mechanisms leading to large scale structure growth and turbulent kinetic energy production. The simulations further include a passive scalar equation, and passive scalar mixing is also quantified and visualized.« less

  10. LEM Characterization of Synthetic Jet Actuators Driven by Piezoelectric Element: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Chiatto, Matteo; Capuano, Francesco; Coppola, Gennaro; de Luca, Luigi

    2017-01-01

    In the last decades, Synthetic jet actuators have gained much interest among the flow control techniques due to their short response time, high jet velocity and absence of traditional piping, which matches the requirements of reduced size and low weight. A synthetic jet is generated by the diaphragm oscillation (generally driven by a piezoelectric element) in a relatively small cavity, producing periodic cavity pressure variations associated with cavity volume changes. The pressured air exhausts through an orifice, converting diaphragm electrodynamic energy into jet kinetic energy. This review paper considers the development of various Lumped-Element Models (LEMs) as practical tools to design and manufacture the actuators. LEMs can quickly predict device performances such as the frequency response in terms of diaphragm displacement, cavity pressure and jet velocity, as well as the efficiency of energy conversion of input Joule power into useful kinetic power of air jet. The actuator performance is also analyzed by varying typical geometric parameters such as cavity height and orifice diameter and length, through a suited dimensionless form of the governing equations. A comprehensive and detailed physical modeling aimed to evaluate the device efficiency is introduced, shedding light on the different stages involved in the process. Overall, the influence of the coupling degree of the two oscillators, the diaphragm and the Helmholtz frequency, on the device performance is discussed throughout the paper. PMID:28587141

  11. Design of membrane actuators based on ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite for the synthetic jet actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Yuanchang; Taya, Minoru; Kuga, Yasuo

    2004-07-01

    A new membrane actuator based on our previous diaphragm actuator was designed and constructed to improve the dynamic performance. The finite element analysis was used to estimate the frequency response of the composite membrane which will be driven close to its resonance to obtain a large stroke. The membrane is made of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy (FSMA) composite including a ferromagnetic soft iron pad and a superelastic grade of NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA). The actuation mechanism for the FSMA composite membrane of the actuator is the hybrid mechanism that we proposed previously. This membrane actuator is designed for a new synthetic jet actuator package that will be used for active flow control technology on airplane wings. Based on the FEM results, the new membrane actuator system was assembled and its static and dynamic performance was experimentally evaluated including the dynamic magnetic response of the hybrid magnet.

  12. Application of Sweeping Jet Actuators on the NASA Hump Model and Comparison with CFDVAL2004 Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koklu, Mehti

    2017-01-01

    Flow separation control over a wall-mounted hump model was studied experimentally to assess the performance of sweeping jet actuators. Results were compared to that of the 2004 CFD validation experiment (CFDVAL2004), which examined flow separation control with steady suction and unsteady zero-net-mass-flow actuators. Comparisons were carried out at low and high amplitude excitations. In addition to the active flow control methods, a passive flow control method (i.e., vortex generator) was used to complement the dataset. Steady/unsteady surface pressure measurements and surface oilflow visualization were used in the performance assessment of the actuators. The results indicated that the sweeping jet actuators are more effective than the steady suction and unsteady zero-net-mass-flow actuators. For the same momentum coefficient, the sweeping jet actuators produced more flow acceleration upstream of separation, more pressure recovery downstream, and consistently a smaller separation bubble.

  13. A Reduced-Order Model for Efficient Simulation of Synthetic Jet Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yamaleev, Nail K.; Carpenter, Mark H.

    2003-01-01

    A new reduced-order model of multidimensional synthetic jet actuators that combines the accuracy and conservation properties of full numerical simulation methods with the efficiency of simplified zero-order models is proposed. The multidimensional actuator is simulated by solving the time-dependent compressible quasi-1-D Euler equations, while the diaphragm is modeled as a moving boundary. The governing equations are approximated with a fourth-order finite difference scheme on a moving mesh such that one of the mesh boundaries coincides with the diaphragm. The reduced-order model of the actuator has several advantages. In contrast to the 3-D models, this approach provides conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. Furthermore, the new method is computationally much more efficient than the multidimensional Navier-Stokes simulation of the actuator cavity flow, while providing practically the same accuracy in the exterior flowfield. The most distinctive feature of the present model is its ability to predict the resonance characteristics of synthetic jet actuators; this is not practical when using the 3-D models because of the computational cost involved. Numerical results demonstrating the accuracy of the new reduced-order model and its limitations are presented.

  14. DBD Actuated Flow Control of Wall-Jet and Cross-Flow Interaction for Film Cooling Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tirumala, Rakshit; Benard, Nicolas; Moreau, Eric; Fenot, Matthieu; Lalizel, Gildas; Dorignac, Eva

    2014-11-01

    In this work, we use surface DBD actuators to control the interaction between a wall jet and mainstream flow in film cooling applications. The intention of the study is to improve the contact of the jet with the wall and enhance the convective heat transfer coefficient downstream of the jet exit. A 2D wall jet (10 mm height) is injected into the mainstream flow at an angle of 30°. With an injected jet velocity (Ui) of 5 m/s, two blowing ratios M (=ρi Ui / ρ∞U∞) of 1.0 and 0.5 are studied corresponding to the mainstream flow velocity (U∞) of 5 m/s and 10 m/s respectively. Different configurations of the DBD actuator are studied, positioned both inside the jet and on the downstream side. PIV measurements are conducted to investigate the flow field of the interaction between the jet and cross flow. Streamwise velocity profiles at different downstream locations are compared to analyze the efficacy of the plasma actuator in improving the contact between the injected jet stream and the wall surface. Reynolds shear stress measurements are also conducted to study the mixing regions in the plasma-jet-mainstream flow interaction. Work was partially funded by the French government program ``Investissements d'avenir'' (LABEX INTERACTIFS, reference ANR-11-LABX-0017-01).

  15. High-displacement spiral piezoelectric actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohammadi, F.; Kholkin, A. L.; Jadidian, B.; Safari, A.

    1999-10-01

    A high-displacement piezoelectric actuator, employing spiral geometry of a curved piezoelectric strip is described. The monolithic actuators are fabricated using a layered manufacturing technique, fused deposition of ceramics, which is capable of prototyping electroceramic components with complex shapes. The spiral actuators (2-3 cm in diameter) consisted of 4-5 turns of a lead zirconate titanate ceramic strip with an effective length up to 28 cm. The width was varied from 0.9 to 1.75 mm with a height of 3 mm. When driven by the electric field applied across the width of the spiral wall, the tip of the actuator was found to displace in both radial and tangential directions. The tangential displacement of the tip was about 210 μm under the field of 5 kV/cm. Both the displacement and resonant frequency of the spirals could be tailored by changing the effective length and wall width. The blocking force of the actuator in tangential direction was about 1 N under the field of 5 kV/cm. These properties are advantageous for high-displacement low-force applications where bimorph or monomorph actuators are currently employed.

  16. Analysis of Tangential Slot Blowing on F/A-18 Isolated Forebody

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gee, Ken; Rizk, Yehia M.; Schiff, Lewis B.

    1995-01-01

    The generation of significant side forces and yawing moments on an F/A-18 fuselage through tangential slot blowing is analyzed using computational fluid dynamics. The effects of freestream Mach number, jet exit conditions, jet length, and jet location are studied. The effects of over- and underblowing on force and moment production are analyzed. Non-time-accurate solutions are obtained to determine the steady-state side forces, yawing moments, and surface pressure distributions generated by tangential slot blowing. Time-accurate solutions are obtained to study the force onset time lag of tangential slot blowing. Comparison with available experimental data from full-scale wind-tunnel and subscale wind-tunnel tests are made. This computational analysis complements the experimental results and provides a detailed understanding of the effects of tangential slot blowing on the flowfield about the isolated F/A-18 forebody. Additionally, it extends the slot-blowing database to transonic maneuvering Mach numbers.

  17. Virtual Shaping of a Two-dimensional NACA 0015 Airfoil Using Synthetic Jet Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Fang-Jenq; Beeler, George B.

    2002-01-01

    The Aircraft Morphing Program at NASA Langley envisions an aircraft without conventional control surfaces. Instead of moving control surfaces, the vehicle control systems may be implemented with a combination of propulsive forces, micro surface effectors, and fluidic devices dynamically operated by an intelligent flight control system to provide aircraft maneuverability over each mission segment. As a part of this program, a two-dimensional NACA 0015 airfoil model was designed to test mild maneuvering capability of synthetic jets in a subsonic wind tunnel. The objective of the experiments is to assess the applicability of using unsteady suction and blowing to alter the aerodynamic shape of an airfoil with a purpose to enhance lift and/or to reduce drag. Synthetic jet actuation at different chordwise locations, different forcing frequencies and amplitudes, under different freestream velocities are investigated. The effect of virtual shape change is indicated by a localized increase of surface pressure in the neighborhood of synthetic jet actuation. That causes a negative lift to the airfoil with an upper surface actuation. When actuation is applied near the airfoil leading edge, it appears that the stagnation line is shifted inducing an effect similar to that caused by a small angle of attack to produce an overall lift change.

  18. Control of unsteadiness of a shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction by using a pulsed-plasma-jet actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narayanaswamy, Venkateswaran; Raja, Laxminarayan L.; Clemens, Noel T.

    2012-07-01

    A pulsed-plasma jet actuator is used to control the unsteady motion of the separation shock of a shock wave/boundary layer interaction formed by a compression ramp in a Mach 3 flow. The actuator is based on a plasma-generated synthetic jet and is configured as an array of three jets that can be injected normal to the cross-flow, pitched, or pitched and skewed. The typical peak jet exit velocity of the actuators is about 300 m/s and the pulsing frequencies are a few kilohertz. A study of the interaction between the pulsed-plasma jets and the shock/boundary layer interaction was performed in a time-resolved manner using 10 kHz schlieren imaging. When the actuator, pulsed at StL ≈ 0.04 (f = 2 kHz), was injected into the upstream boundary layer, the separation shock responded to the plasma jet by executing a rapid upstream motion followed by a gradual downstream recovery motion. Schlieren movies of the interaction showed that the separation shock unsteadiness was locked to the pulsing frequency of the actuator, with amplitude of about one boundary layer thickness. Wall-pressure measurements made under the intermittent region showed about a 30% decrease in the overall magnitude of the pressure fluctuations in the low-frequency band associated with unsteady large-scale motion of the separated flow. Furthermore, by increasing the pulsing frequency to 3.3 kHz, the amplitude of the separation shock oscillation was reduced to less than half the boundary layer thickness. Investigation into the effect of the actuator location on the shock wave/boundary layer interaction (SWBLI) showed qualitatively and quantitatively that the actuator placed upstream of the separation shock caused significant modification to the SWBLI unsteadiness, whereas injection from inside the separation bubble did not cause a noticeable effect.

  19. Effect of slotted exit orifice on performance of plasma synthetic jet actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zong, Haohua; Kotsonis, Marios

    2017-03-01

    This study experimentally investigates the influence of exit orifice shape on the performance characteristics of a three-electrode plasma synthetic jet actuator. High-speed Schlieren imaging system and phase-locked two-component PIV measurements are used for flowfield characterisation in quiescent conditions. Two actuator configurations with the same exit area but different exit orifice shape (round orifice and slot orifice) are studied. Results indicate a close correspondence between the shapes of the starting vortex ring with the shapes of the respective exit orifices. For the slot orifice, the elongated starting vortex ring gradually expands during propagation, while its ends become warped. A distinct K-H instability structure is observed, inducing continuous oscillation of the high-speed jet. Compared with the jet from the round orifice, the slot jet has a higher entrainment rate of surrounding air, thus resulting in a lower propagation velocity of the jet front. The exit velocity of PSJA within one period initially shows a rapid increase, then persists at a relatively high level (100-130 m/s), and finally drops with some small-scale oscillations. The oscillation amplitude is less than 10 m/s, and the oscillation period is approximately 600 µs. Under conditions of same exit area, orifice shape has little influence on the variation of the exit velocity.

  20. Laminated chemical and physical micro-jet actuators based on conductive media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gadiraju, Priya D.

    2008-04-01

    This dissertation presents the development of electrically-powered, lamination-based microactuators for the realization of large arrays of high impulse and short duration micro-jets with potential applications in the field of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Microactuators offer unique control opportunities by converting the input electrical or chemical energy stored in a propellant into useful mechanical energy. This small and precise control obtained can potentially be applied towards aerodynamic control and transdermal drug delivery applications. This thesis work discusses the feasibility of using microactuators for two such applications: Control of the motion of a spinning projectile by utilizing the chemically-driven microjets ejected from the actuators, and enhancement of the permeability properties of skin by selectively ablating the stratum corneum layer of skin using the physical microjets ejected from the actuators. This enhanced permeability of skin can later be used for the delivery of high molecular weight drugs for transdermal drug delivery. The development of electrically powered microactuators starts by fabricating an array of radially firing microactuators using lamination-based microfabrication techniques that potentially enable batch fabrication at low cost. The microactuators of this thesis consist of three main parts: a micro chamber in which the propellant is stored; two electrode structures through which electrical energy is supplied to the propellant; and a micro nozzle through which the propellant or released gases from the propellant are expanded as a jet. Once the actuators are fabricated, they are integrated with MEMS-process-compatible propellants and optimized so as to produce instantaneous ignition of the propellant. This instantaneous ignition is achieved either by making the propellant itself conductive, thus, passing an electric current directly through the propellant; or by discharging an arc across the propellant by

  1. Dynamic design and control of a high-speed pneumatic jet actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Misyurin, S. Yu; Ivlev, V. I.; Kreinin, G. V.

    2017-12-01

    Mathematical model of an actuator, consisting of a pneumatic (gas) high-speed jet engine, transfer mechanism, and a control device used for switching the ball valve is worked out. The specific attention was paid to the transition (normalization) of the dynamic model into the dimensionless form. Its dynamic simulation criteria are determined, and dynamics study of an actuator was carried out. The simple control algorithm of relay action with a velocity feedback enabling the valve plug to be turned with a smooth nonstop and continuous approach to the final position is demonstrated

  2. Flow Separation Control on A Full-Scale Vertical Tail Model Using Sweeping Jet Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Andino, Marlyn Y.; Lin, John C.; Washburn, Anthony E.; Whalen, Edward A.; Graff, Emilio C.; Wygnanski, Israel J.

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes test results of a joint NASA/Boeing research effort to advance Active Flow Control (AFC) technology to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. A full-scale Boeing 757 vertical tail model equipped with sweeping jets AFC was tested at the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. The flow separation control optimization was performed at 100 knots, a maximum rudder deflection of 30deg, and sideslip angles of 0deg and -7.5deg. Greater than 20% increments in side force were achieved at the two sideslip angles with a 31-actuator AFC configuration. Flow physics and flow separation control associated with the AFC are presented in detail. AFC caused significant increases in suction pressure on the actuator side and associated side force enhancement. The momentum coefficient (C sub mu) is shown to be a useful parameter to use for scaling-up sweeping jet AFC from sub-scale tests to full-scale applications. Reducing the number of actuators at a constant total C(sub mu) of approximately 0.5% and tripling the actuator spacing did not significantly affect the flow separation control effectiveness.

  3. High-frequency counter-flow plasma synthetic jet actuator and its application in suppression of supersonic flow separation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hongyu; Li, Jun; Jin, Di; Tang, Mengxiao; Wu, Yun; Xiao, Lianghua

    2018-01-01

    We come up with a control strategy for suppression of supersonic flow separation based on high-frequency Counter-flow Plasma Synthetic Jet Actuator (CPSJA). The main purpose of this investigation is to verify if its control authority can be enhanced by the jet/shock interaction. We use a blunt nose to generate a bow shock, a step on a flat plate to introduce a massive separation in a Mach 2 wind tunnel, and the CPSJA to generate Plasma Synthetic Jet (PSJ). In this study, pulsed capacitive discharge is provided for an array of CPSJAs, which makes the actuation (discharge) frequency f1 = 1 kHz, f2 = 2 kHz and f3 = 3 kHz. We use the high-speed schlieren imaging and fast response pressure transducers as well as a numerical simulation to investigate the quiescent PSJ properties, the interaction between the jet and bow shock, and its disturbance effect on the downstream separated region. The schlieren images show that PSJ is characterized by a succession of vortex rings; the jet strength weakens with the increase of frequency. A 4.5 mN jet thrust is found for all the frequencies. The simulation results show that jet/shock interaction produces vorticity in the vortex ring of the jet, enhancing turbulent mixing in PSJ so that a great deal of momentum is produced into the flow. We found the downstream flow is significantly disturbed by the enhanced actuation. Actuation with frequency of f2, f3 which is close to the natural frequency fn of the separation bubble suppresses the separation with the upstream laminar boundary layer being periodically attenuated, which has a better control effect than f1. The control effect is sensitive to the position where PSJ interacts with the shear layer, but the amount of energy deposited in one pulse is not crucial in a separation reduction in the experiment.

  4. Computational analysis of forebody tangential slot blowing on the high alpha research vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gee, Ken

    1995-01-01

    A numerical analysis of forebody tangential slot blowing as a means of generating side force and yawing moment is conducted using an aircraft geometry. The Reynolds-averaged, thin-layer, Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a partially flux-split, approximately-factored algorithm. An algebraic turbulence model is used to determine the turbulent eddy viscosity values. Solutions are obtained using both patched and overset grid systems. In the patched grid model, and actuator plane is used to introduce jet variables into the flow field. The overset grid model is used to model the physical slot geometry and facilitate modeling of the full aircraft configuration. A slot optimization study indicates that a short slot located close to the nose of the aircraft provided the most side force and yawing moment per unit blowing coefficient. Comparison of computed surface pressure with that obtained in full-scale wind tunnel tests produce good agreement, indicating the numerical method and grid system used in the study are valid. Full aircraft computations resolve the changes in vortex burst point due to blowing. A time-accurate full-aircraft solution shows the effect of blowing on the changes in the frequency of the aerodynamic loads over the vertical tails. A study of the effects of freestream Mach number and various jet parameters indicates blowing remains effective through the transonic Mach range. An investigation of the force onset time lag associated with forebody blowing shows the lag to be minimal. The knowledge obtained in this study may be applied to the design of a forebody tangential slot blowing system for use on flight aircraft.

  5. DBD Plasma Actuators for Flow Control in Air Vehicles and Jet Engines - Simulation of Flight Conditions in Test Chambers by Density Matching

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ashpis, David E.; Thurman, Douglas R.

    2011-01-01

    Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma actuators for active flow control in aircraft and jet engines need to be tested in the laboratory to characterize their performance at flight operating conditions. DBD plasma actuators generate a wall-jet electronically by creating weakly ionized plasma, therefore their performance is affected by gas discharge properties, which, in turn, depend on the pressure and temperature at the actuator placement location. Characterization of actuators is initially performed in a laboratory chamber without external flow. The pressure and temperature at the actuator flight operation conditions need to be simultaneously set in the chamber. A simplified approach is desired. It is assumed that the plasma discharge depends only on the gas density, while other temperature effects are assumed to be negligible. Therefore, tests can be performed at room temperature with chamber pressure set to yield the same density as in operating flight conditions. The needed chamber pressures are shown for altitude flight of an air vehicle and for jet engines at sea-level takeoff and altitude cruise conditions. Atmospheric flight conditions are calculated from standard atmosphere with and without shock waves. The engine data was obtained from four generic engine models; 300-, 150-, and 50-passenger (PAX) aircraft engines, and a military jet-fighter engine. The static and total pressure, temperature, and density distributions along the engine were calculated for sea-level takeoff and for altitude cruise conditions. The corresponding chamber pressures needed to test the actuators were calculated. The results show that, to simulate engine component flows at in-flight conditions, plasma actuator should be tested over a wide range of pressures. For the four model engines the range is from 12.4 to 0.03 atm, depending on the placement of the actuator in the engine. For example, if a DBD plasma actuator is to be placed at the compressor exit of a 300 PAX engine, it

  6. Vibrotactile Compliance Feedback for Tangential Force Interaction.

    PubMed

    Heo, Seongkook; Lee, Geehyuk

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a method to generate a haptic illusion of compliance using a vibrotactile actuator when a tangential force is applied to a rigid surface. The novel method builds on a conceptual compliance model where a physical object moves on a textured surface in response to a tangential force. The method plays vibration patterns simulating friction-induced vibrations as an applied tangential force changes. We built a prototype consisting of a two-dimensional tangential force sensor and a surface transducer to test the effectiveness of the model. Participants in user experiments with the prototype perceived the rigid surface of the prototype as a moving, rubber-like plate. The main findings of the experiments are: 1) the perceived stiffness of a simulated material can be controlled by controlling the force-playback transfer function, 2) its perceptual properties such as softness and pleasantness can be controlled by changing friction grain parameters, and 3) the use of the vibrotactile compliance feedback reduces participants' workload including physical demand and frustration while performing a force repetition task.

  7. Forebody tangential blowing for control at high angles of attack

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kroo, I.; Rock, S.; Roberts, L.

    1991-01-01

    A feasibility study to determine if the use of tangential leading edge blowing over the forebody could produce effective and practical control of the F-18 HARV aircraft at high angles of attack was conducted. A simplified model of the F-18 configuration using a vortex-lattice model was developed to obtain a better understanding of basic aerodynamic coupling effects and the influence of forebody circulation on lifting surface behavior. The effect of tangential blowing was estimated using existing wind tunnel data on normal forebody blowing and analytical studies of tangential blowing over conical forebodies. Incorporation of forebody blowing into the flight control system was investigated by adding this additional yaw control and sideforce generating actuator into the existing F-18 HARV simulation model. A control law was synthesized using LQG design methods that would schedule blowing rates as a function of vehicle sideslip, angle of attack, and roll and yaw rates.

  8. Unsteady Flow Simulation of a Sweeping Jet Actuator Using a Lattice-Boltzmann Method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duda, B.; Wessels, M.; Fares, E.; Vatsa, V.

    2016-01-01

    Active flow control technology is increasingly used in aerospace applications to control flow separation and to improve aerodynamic performance. In this paper, PowerFLOW is used to simulate the flow through a sweeping jet actuator at two different pressure ratios. The lower pressure ratio leads to a high subsonic flow, whereas the high pressure ratio produces a choked flow condition. Comparison of numerical results with experimental data is shown, which includes qualitatively good agreement of pressure histories and spectra. PIV measurements are also available but the simulation overestimates mean and fluctuation quantities outside the actuator. If supply pressure is matched at one point inside the mixing chamber a good qualitative agreement is achieved at all other monitor points.

  9. Design and Control of a Proof-of-Concept Active Jet Engine Intake Using Shape Memory Alloy Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Song, Gangbing; Ma, Ning; Penney, Nicholas; Barr, Todd; Lee, Ho-Jun; Arnold, Steven M.

    2004-01-01

    The design and control of a novel proof-of-concept active jet engine intake using Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti or Nitinol) shape memory alloy (SMA) wire actuators is used to demonstrate the potential of an adaptive intake to improve the fuel efficiency of a jet engine. The Nitinol SMA material is selected for this research due to the material's ability to generate large strains of up to 5 percent for repeated operations, a high power-to-weight ratio, electrical resistive actuation, and easy fabrication into a variety of shapes. The proof-of-concept engine intake employs an overlapping leaf design arranged in a concentric configuration. Each leaf is mounted on a supporting bar that rotates upon actuation by SMA wires electrical resistive heating. Feedback control is enabled through the use of a laser range sensor to detect the movement of a leaf and determine the radius of the intake area. Due to the hysteresis behavior inherent in SMAs, a nonlinear robust controller is used to direct the SMA wire actuation. The controller design utilizes the sliding-mode approach to compensate for the nonlinearities associated with the SMA actuator. Feedback control experiments conducted on a fabricated proof-of-concept model have demonstrated the capability to precisely control the intake area and achieve up to a 25 percent reduction in intake area. The experiments demonstrate the feasibility of engine intake area control using the proposed design.

  10. Experimental investigation of magnetically actuated separation using tangential microfluidic channels and magnetic nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Munir, Ahsan; Zhu, Zanzan; Wang, Jianlong; Zhou, Hong Susan

    2014-06-01

    A novel continuous switching/separation scheme of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in a sub-microlitre fluid volume surrounded by neodymium permanent magnet is studied in this work using tangential microfluidic channels. Polydimethylsiloxane tangential microchannels are fabricated using a novel micromoulding technique that can be done without a clean room and at much lower cost and time. Negligible switching of MNPs is seen in the absence of magnetic field, whereas 90% of switching is observed in the presence of magnetic field. The flow rate of MNPs solution had dramatic impact on separation performance. An optimum value of the flow rate is found that resulted in providing effective MNP separation at much faster rate. Separation performance is also investigated for a mixture containing non-magnetic polystyrene particles and MNPs. It is found that MNPs preferentially moved from lower microchannel to upper microchannel resulting in efficient separation. The proof-of-concept experiments performed in this work demonstrates that microfluidic bioseparation can be efficiently achieved using functionalised MNPs, together with tangential microchannels, appropriate magnetic field strength and optimum flow rates. This work verifies that a simple low-cost magnetic switching scheme can be potentially of great utility for the separation and detection of biomolecules in microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems.

  11. Actuator concepts and mechatronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilbert, Michael G.; Horner, Garnett C.

    1998-06-01

    Mechatronic design implies the consideration of integrated mechanical, electrical, and local control characteristics in electromechanical device design. In this paper, mechatronic development of actuation device concepts for active aircraft aerodynamic flow control are presented and discussed. The devices are intended to be embedded in aircraft aerodynamic surfaces to provide zero-net-momentum jets or additional flow-vorticity to control boundary layers and flow- separation. Two synthetic jet device prototypes and one vorticity-on-demand prototype currently in development are described in the paper. The aspects of actuation materials, design approaches to generating jets and vorticity, and the integration of miniaturized electronics are stressed.

  12. Sweeping Jet Optimization Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Melton, LaTunia Pack; Koklu, Mehti; Andino, Marlyn; Lin, John C.; Edelman, Louis

    2016-01-01

    Progress on experimental efforts to optimize sweeping jet actuators for active flow control (AFC) applications with large adverse pressure gradients is reported. Three sweeping jet actuator configurations, with the same orifice size but di?erent internal geometries, were installed on the flap shoulder of an unswept, NACA 0015 semi-span wing to investigate how the output produced by a sweeping jet interacts with the separated flow and the mechanisms by which the flow separation is controlled. For this experiment, the flow separation was generated by deflecting the wing's 30% chord trailing edge flap to produce an adverse pressure gradient. Steady and unsteady pressure data, Particle Image Velocimetry data, and force and moment data were acquired to assess the performance of the three actuator configurations. The actuator with the largest jet deflection angle, at the pressure ratios investigated, was the most efficient at controlling flow separation on the flap of the model. Oil flow visualization studies revealed that the flow field controlled by the sweeping jets was more three-dimensional than expected. The results presented also show that the actuator spacing was appropriate for the pressure ratios examined.

  13. Numerical analysis of tangential slot blowing on a generic chined forebody

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Agosta, Roxana M.

    1994-01-01

    A numerical study is performed to investigate the effects of tangential slot blowing on a generic chined forebody. The Reynolds-averaged, thin-layer, Navier-Stokes equations are solved to obtain the high-angle-of-attack viscous flow field about a generic chined forebody. Tangential slot blowing is investigated as a means of forebody flow control to generate side force and yawing moment on the forebody. The effects of jet mass flow ratios, angle of attack, and blowing slot location in the axial and circumferential directions are studied. The computed results are compared with available wind tunnel experimental data. The solutions with and without blowing are also analyzed using helicity density contours, surface flow patterns, and off-surface instantaneous streamlines. The results of this analysis provide details of the flow field about the generic chined forebody, as well as show that tangential slot blowing can be used as a means of forebody flow control to generate side force and yawing moment.

  14. Numerical Simulation of Fluidic Actuators for Flow Control Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vasta, Veer N.; Koklu, Mehti; Wygnanski, Israel L.; Fares, Ehab

    2012-01-01

    Active flow control technology is finding increasing use in aerospace applications to control flow separation and improve aerodynamic performance. In this paper we examine the characteristics of a class of fluidic actuators that are being considered for active flow control applications for a variety of practical problems. Based on recent experimental work, such actuators have been found to be more efficient for controlling flow separation in terms of mass flow requirements compared to constant blowing and suction or even synthetic jet actuators. The fluidic actuators produce spanwise oscillating jets, and therefore are also known as sweeping jets. The frequency and spanwise sweeping extent depend on the geometric parameters and mass flow rate entering the actuators through the inlet section. The flow physics associated with these actuators is quite complex and not fully understood at this time. The unsteady flow generated by such actuators is simulated using the lattice Boltzmann based solver PowerFLOW R . Computed mean and standard deviation of velocity profiles generated by a family of fluidic actuators in quiescent air are compared with experimental data. Simulated results replicate the experimentally observed trends with parametric variation of geometry and inflow conditions.

  15. Sweeping Jet Actuators - A New Design Tool for High Lift Generation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Graff, Emilio; Seele, Roman; Lin, John C.; Wygnanski, Israel

    2013-01-01

    Active Flow Control (AFC) experiments performed at the Caltech Lucas Wind Tunnel on a generic airplane vertical tail model proved the effectiveness of sweeping jets in improving the control authority of a rudder. The results indicated that a momentum coefficient (C(sub u)) of approximately 2% increased the side force in excess of 50% at the maximum conventional rudder deflection angle in the absence of yaw. However, sparsely distributed actuators providing a collective C(sub u) approx. = 0.1% were able to increase the side force in excess of 20%. This result is achieved by reducing the spanwise flow along the swept back rudder and its success is attributed to the large sweep back angle of the vertical tail. This current effort was sponsored by the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project.

  16. Cavity-actuated supersonic mixing and combustion control

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yu, K.H.; Schadow, K.C.

    1994-11-01

    Compressible shear layers in supersonic jets are quite stable and spread very slowly compared with incompressible shear layers. In this paper, a novel use of a cavity-actuated forcing technique is demonstrated for increasing the spreading rate of compressible shear layers. Periodic modulations were applied to Mach 2.0 reacting and nonreacting jets using the cavities that were attached at the exit of a circular supersonic nozzle. The effect of cavity-actuated forcing was studied as a function of the cavity geometry, in particular, the length and the depth of the cavity. When the cavities were tuned to certain frequencies, large-scale highly coherentmore » structures were produced in the shear layers substantially increasing the growth rate. The cavity excitation was successfully applied to both cold and hot supersonic jets. When applied to cold Mach 2.0 air jets. the cavity-actuated forcing increased the spreading rate of the initial shear layers with the convective Mach number (M[sub C]) of 0.85 by a factor of three. For high-temperature Mach 2.0 jets with M[sub C] of 1.4, a 50% increase in the spreading rate was observed with the forcing. Finally, the cavity-actuated forcing was applied to reacting supersonic jets with ethylene-oxygen afterburning. For this case, the forcing caused a 20%--30% reduction in the afterburning flame length and modified the afterburning intensity significantly. The direction of the modification depended on the characteristics of the afterburning flames. The intensity was reduced with forcing for unstable flames with weak afterburning while it was increased for stable flames with strong afterburning.« less

  17. Acoustics of Excited Jets: A Historical Perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Cliffard A.

    2005-01-01

    The idea that a jet may be excited by external forcing is not new. The first published demonstration of a jet responding to external pressure waves occurred in the mid-1800's. It was not, however, until the 1950's, with the advent of commercial jet aircraft, that interest in the subject greatly increased. Researchers first used excited jets to study the structure of the jet and attempt to determine the nature of the noise sources. The jet actuators of the time limited the range (Reynolds and Mach numbers) of jets that could be excited. As the actuators improved, more realistic jets could be studied. This has led to a better understanding of how jet excitation may be used not only as a research tool to understand the flow properties and noise generation process, but also as a method to control jet noise.

  18. Electrical servo actuator bracket. [fuel control valves on jet engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sawyer, R. V. (Inventor)

    1981-01-01

    An electrical servo actuator is mounted on a support arm which is allowed to pivot on a bolt through a fixed mounting bracket. The actuator is pivotally connected to the end of the support arm by a bolt which has an extension allowed to pass through a slot in the fixed mounting bracket. An actuator rod extends from the servo actuator to a crank arm which turns a control shaft. A short linear thrust of the rod pivots the crank arm through about 90 for full-on control with the rod contracted into the servo actuator, and full-off control when the rod is extended from the actuator. A spring moves the servo actuator and actuator rod toward the control crank arm once the actuator rod is fully extended in the full-off position. This assures the turning of the control shaft to a full-off position. A stop bolt and slot are provided to limit pivot motion. Once fully extended, the spring pivots the motion.

  19. Spherically Actuated Motor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peeples, Steven

    2015-01-01

    A three degree of freedom (DOF) spherical actuator is proposed that will replace functions requiring three single DOF actuators in robotic manipulators providing space and weight savings while reducing the overall failure rate. Exploration satellites, Space Station payload manipulators, and rovers requiring pan, tilt, and rotate movements need an actuator for each function. Not only does each actuator introduce additional failure modes and require bulky mechanical gimbals, each contains many moving parts, decreasing mean time to failure. A conventional robotic manipulator is shown in figure 1. Spherical motors perform all three actuation functions, i.e., three DOF, with only one moving part. Given a standard three actuator system whose actuators have a given failure rate compared to a spherical motor with an equal failure rate, the three actuator system is three times as likely to fail over the latter. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory reliability studies of NASA robotic spacecraft have shown that mechanical hardware/mechanism failures are more frequent and more likely to significantly affect mission success than are electronic failures. Unfortunately, previously designed spherical motors have been unable to provide the performance needed by space missions. This inadequacy is also why they are unavailable commercially. An improved patentable spherically actuated motor (SAM) is proposed to provide the performance and versatility required by NASA missions.

  20. Turbulent swirling jets with excitation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taghavi, Rahmat; Farokhi, Saeed

    1988-01-01

    An existing cold-jet facility at NASA Lewis Research Center was modified to produce swirling flows with controllable initial tangential velocity distribution. Two extreme swirl profiles, i.e., one with solid-body rotation and the other predominated by a free-vortex distribution, were produced at identical swirl number of 0.48. Mean centerline velocity decay characteristics of the solid-body rotation jet flow exhibited classical decay features of a swirling jet with S - 0.48 reported in the literature. However, the predominantly free-vortex distribution case was on the verge of vortex breakdown, a phenomenon associated with the rotating flows of significantly higher swirl numbers, i.e., S sub crit greater than or equal to 0.06. This remarkable result leads to the conclusion that the integrated swirl effect, reflected in the swirl number, is inadequate in describing the mean swirling jet behavior in the near field. The relative size (i.e., diameter) of the vortex core emerging from the nozzle and the corresponding tangential velocity distribution are also controlling factors. Excitability of swirling jets is also investigated by exciting a flow with a swirl number of 0.35 by plane acoustic waves at a constant sound pressure level and at various frequencies. It is observed that the cold swirling jet is excitable by plane waves, and that the instability waves grow about 50 percent less in peak r.m.s. amplitude and saturate further upstream compared to corresponding waves in a jet without swirl having the same axial mass flux. The preferred Strouhal number based on the mass-averaged axial velocity and nozzle exit diameter for both swirling and nonswirling flows is 0.4.

  1. A Reduced-Order Model For Zero-Mass Synthetic Jet Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yamaleev, Nail K.; Carpenter, Mark H.; Vatsa, Veer S.

    2007-01-01

    Accurate details of the general performance of fluid actuators is desirable over a range of flow conditions, within some predetermined error tolerance. Designers typically model actuators with different levels of fidelity depending on the acceptable level of error in each circumstance. Crude properties of the actuator (e.g., peak mass rate and frequency) may be sufficient for some designs, while detailed information is needed for other applications (e.g., multiple actuator interactions). This work attempts to address two primary objectives. The first objective is to develop a systematic methodology for approximating realistic 3-D fluid actuators, using quasi-1-D reduced-order models. Near full fidelity can be achieved with this approach at a fraction of the cost of full simulation and only a modest increase in cost relative to most actuator models used today. The second objective, which is a direct consequence of the first, is to determine the approximate magnitude of errors committed by actuator model approximations of various fidelities. This objective attempts to identify which model (ranging from simple orifice exit boundary conditions to full numerical simulations of the actuator) is appropriate for a given error tolerance.

  2. Active Flow Separation Control on a NACA 0015 Wing Using Fluidic Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Melton, Latunia P.

    2014-01-01

    Results are presented from a recent set of wind tunnel experiments using sweeping jet actuators to control ow separation on the 30% chord trailing edge ap of a 30 deg. swept wing model with an aspect ratio (AR) of 4.35. Two sweeping jet actuator locations were examined, one on the flap shoulder and one on the trailing edge flap. The parameters that were varied included actuator momentum, freestream velocity, and trailing edge flap deflection (Delta f ) angle. The primary focus of this set of experiments was to determine the mass flow and momentum requirements for controlling separation on the flap, especially at large flap deflection angles which would be characteristic of a high lift system. Surface pressure data, force and moment data, and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) data were acquired to evaluate the performance benefits due to applying active flow control. Improvements in lift over the majority of the wing span were obtained using sweeping jet actuator control. High momentum coefficient, Cu, levels were needed when using the actuators on the ap because they were located downstream of separation. Actuators on the flap shoulder performed slightly better but actuator size, orientation, and spacing still need to be optimized.

  3. Piezoelectric actuated gimbal

    DOEpatents

    Tschaggeny, Charles W [Woods Cross, UT; Jones, Warren F [Idaho Falls, ID; Bamberg, Eberhard [Salt Lake City, UT

    2011-09-13

    A gimbal is described and which includes a fixed base member defining an axis of rotation; a second member concentrically oriented relative to the axis of rotation; a linear actuator oriented in immediate, adjoining force transmitting relation relative to the base member or to the second member, and which applies force along a linear axis which is tangential to the axis of rotation so as to cause the second member to rotate coaxially relative to the fixed base member; and an object of interest mounted to the second member such that the object of interest is selectively moved relative to the base member about the axis of rotation.

  4. Experiments in Aircraft Roll-Yaw Control using Forebody Tangential Blowing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pedreiro, Nelson

    1997-01-01

    Advantages of flight at high angles of attack include increased maneuverability and lift capabilities. These are beneficial not only for fighter aircraft, but also for future supersonic and hypersonic transport aircraft during take-off and landing. At high angles of attack the aerodynamics of the vehicle are dominated by separation, vortex shedding and possibly vortex breakdown. These phenomena severely compromise the effectiveness of conventional control surfaces. As a result, controlled flight at high angles of attack is not feasible for current aircraft configurations. Alternate means to augment the control of the vehicle at these flight regimes are therefore necessary. The present work investigates the augmentation of an aircraft flight control system by the injection of a thin sheet of air tangentially to the forebody of the vehicle. This method, known as Forebody Tangential Blowing (FTB), has been proposed as an effective means of increasing the controllability of aircraft at high angles of attack. The idea is based on the fact that a small amount of air is sufficient to change the separation lines on the forebody. As a consequence, the strength and position of the vortices are altered causing a change on the aerodynamic loads. Although a very effective actuator, forebody tangential blowing is also highly non-linear which makes its use for aircraft control very difficult. In this work, the feasibility of using FTB to control the roll-yaw motion of a wind tunnel model was demonstrated both through simulations and experimentally. The wind tunnel model used in the experiments consists of a wing-body configuration incorporating a delta wing with 70-degree sweep angle and a cone-cylinder fuselage. The model is equipped with forebody slots through which blowing is applied. There are no movable control surfaces, therefore blowing is the only form of actuation. Experiments were conducted at a nominal angle of attack of 45 degrees. A unique apparatus that constrains

  5. Femtosecond Laser Tagging Characterization of a Sweeping Jet Actuator Operating in the Compressible Regime

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peters, Christopher J.; Miles, Richard B.; Burns, Ross A.; Bathel, Brett F.; Jones, Gregory S.; Danehy, Paul M.

    2016-01-01

    A sweeping jet (SWJ) actuator operating over a range of nozzle pressure ratios (NPRs) was characterized with femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (FLEET), single hot-wire anemometry (HWA) and high-speed/phase-averaged schlieren. FLEET velocimetry was successfully demonstrated in a highly unsteady, oscillatory flow containing subsonic through supersonic velocities. Qualitative comparisons between FLEET and HWA (which measured mass flux since the flow was compressible) showed relatively good agreement in the external flow profiles. The spreading rate was found to vary from 0.5 to 1.2 depending on the pressure ratio. The precision of FLEET velocity measurements in the external flow field was poorer (is approximately equal to 25 m/s) than reported in a previous study due to the use of relatively low laser fluences, impacting the velocity fluctuation measurements. FLEET enabled velocity measurements inside the device and showed that choking likely occurred for NPR = 2.0, and no internal shockwaves were present. Qualitative oxygen concentration measurements using FLEET were explored in an effort to gauge the jet's mixing with the ambient. The jet was shown to mix well within roughly four throat diameters and mix fully within roughly eight throat diameters. Schlieren provided visualization of the internal and external flow fields and showed that the qualitative structure of the internal flow does not vary with pressure ratio and the sweeping mechanism observed for incompressible NPRs also probably holds for compressible NPRs.

  6. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Experiments to Design Sweeping Jets for High Reynolds Number Cruise Configurations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Gregory S.; Milholen, William E., II; Fell, Jared S.; Webb, Sandy R.; Cagle, C. Mark

    2016-01-01

    The application of a sweeping jet actuator to a circulation control system was initiated by a risk reduction series of experiments to optimize the authority of a single sweeping jet actuator. The sweeping jet design was integrated into the existing Fundamental Aerodynamic Subsonic Transonic- Modular Active Control (FAST-MAC) model by replacing the steady blowing system with an array of thirty-nine sweeping jet cartridges. A constant slot height to wing chord ratio was similar to the steady blowing configuration resulting in each actuator having a unique in size for the sweeping jet configuration. While this paper will describe the scaling and optimization of the actuators for future high Reynolds number applications, the major focus of this effort was to target the transonic flight regime by increasing the amplitude authority of the actuator. This was accomplished by modifying the diffuser of the sweeping jet actuator, and this paper highlights twelve different diffuser designs. The experimental portion of this work was completed in the NASA Langley National Transonic Facility.

  7. Synthetic Jet Flow Field Database for CFD Validation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yao, Chung-Sheng; Chen, Fang Jenq; Neuhart, Dan; Harris, Jerome

    2004-01-01

    An oscillatory zero net mass flow jet was generated by a cavity-pumping device, namely a synthetic jet actuator. This basic oscillating jet flow field was selected as the first of the three test cases for the Langley workshop on CFD Validation of Synthetic Jets and Turbulent Separation Control. The purpose of this workshop was to assess the current CFD capabilities to predict unsteady flow fields of synthetic jets and separation control. This paper describes the characteristics and flow field database of a synthetic jet in a quiescent fluid. In this experiment, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), and hot-wire anemometry were used to measure the jet velocity field. In addition, the actuator operating parameters including diaphragm displacement, internal cavity pressure, and internal cavity temperature were also documented to provide boundary conditions for CFD modeling.

  8. Development of an Actuator for Flow Control Utilizing Detonation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lonneman, Patrick J.; Cutler, Andrew D.

    2004-01-01

    Active flow control devices including mass injection systems and zero-net-mass flux actuators (synthetic jets) have been employed to delay flow separation. These devices are capable of interacting with low-speed, subsonic flows, but situations exist where a stronger crossflow interaction is needed. Small actuators that utilize detonation of premixed fuel and oxidizer should be capable of producing supersonic exit jet velocities. An actuator producing exit velocities of this magnitude should provide a more significant interaction with transonic and supersonic crossflows. This concept would be applicable to airfoils on high-speed aircraft as well as inlet and diffuser flow control. The present work consists of the development of a detonation actuator capable of producing a detonation in a single shot (one cycle). Multiple actuator configurations, initial fill pressures, oxidizers, equivalence ratios, ignition energies, and the addition of a turbulence generating device were considered experimentally and computationally. It was found that increased initial fill pressures and the addition of a turbulence generator aided in the detonation process. The actuators successfully produced Chapman-Jouguet detonations and wave speeds on the order of 3000 m/s.

  9. Development of DBD plasma actuators: The double encapsulated electrode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erfani, Rasool; Zare-Behtash, Hossein; Hale, Craig; Kontis, Konstantinos

    2015-04-01

    Plasma actuators are electrical devices that generate a wall bounded jet without the use of any moving parts. For aerodynamic applications they can be used as flow control devices to delay separation and augment lift on a wing. The standard plasma actuator consists of a single encapsulated (ground) electrode. The aim of this project is to investigate the effect of varying the number and distribution of encapsulated electrodes in the dielectric layer. Utilising a transformer cascade, a variety of input voltages are studied for their effect. In the quiescent environment of a Faraday cage the velocity flow field is recorded using particle image velocimetry. Through understanding of the mechanisms involved in producing the wall jet and the importance of the encapsulated electrode a novel actuator design is proposed. The actuator design distributes the encapsulated electrode throughout the dielectric layer. The experiments have shown that actuators with a shallow initial encapsulated electrode induce velocities greater than the baseline case at the same voltage. Actuators with a deep initial encapsulated electrode are able to induce the highest velocities as they can operate at higher voltages without breakdown of the dielectric.

  10. Flow control of an elongated jet in cross-flow: Film cooling effectiveness enhancement using surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Audier, P.; Fénot, M.; Bénard, N.; Moreau, E.

    2016-02-01

    The case presented here deals with plasma flow control applied to a cross-flow configuration, more specifically to a film cooling system. The ability of a plasma dielectric barrier discharge actuator for film cooling effectiveness enhancement is investigated through an experimental set-up, including a film injection from an elongated slot into a thermally uniform cross-flow. Two-dimensional particle image velocimetry and infrared-thermography measurements are performed for three different blowing ratios of M = 0.4, 0.5, and 1. Results show that the effectiveness can be increased when the discharge is switched on, as predicted by the numerical results available in literature. Whatever the blowing ratio, the actuator induces a deflection of the jet flow towards the wall, increases its momentum, and delays its diffusion in the cross-flow.

  11. Contributions of the secondary jet to the maximum tangential velocity and to the collection efficiency of the fixed guide vane type axial flow cyclone dust collector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogawa, Akira; Anzou, Hideki; Yamamoto, So; Shimagaki, Mituru

    2015-11-01

    In order to control the maximum tangential velocity Vθm(m/s) of the turbulent rotational air flow and the collection efficiency ηc (%) using the fly ash of the mean diameter XR50=5.57 µm, two secondary jet nozzles were installed to the body of the axial flow cyclone dust collector with the body diameter D1=99mm. Then in order to estimate Vθm (m/s), the conservation theory of the angular momentum flux with Ogawa combined vortex model was applied. The comparisons of the estimated results of Vθm(m/s) with the measured results by the cylindrical Pitot-tube were shown in good agreement. And also the estimated collection efficiencies ηcth (%) basing upon the cut-size Xc (µm) which was calculated by using the estimated Vθ m(m/s) and also the particle size distribution R(Xp) were shown a little higher values than the experimental results due to the re-entrainment of the collected dust. The best method for adjustment of ηc (%) related to the contribution of the secondary jet flow is principally to apply the centrifugal effect Φc (1). Above stated results are described in detail.

  12. Active Control of High-Speed Free Jets Using High-Frequency Excitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Upadhyay, Puja

    Control of aerodynamic noise generated by high-performance jet engines continues to remain a serious problem for the aviation community. Intense low frequency noise produced by large-scale coherent structures is known to dominate acoustic radiation in the aft angles. A tremendous amount of research effort has been dedicated towards the investigation of many passive and active flow control strategies to attenuate jet noise, while keeping performance penalties to a minimum. Unsteady excitation, an active control technique, seeks to modify acoustic sources in the jet by leveraging the naturally-occurring flow instabilities in the shear layer. While excitation at a lower range of frequencies that scale with the dynamics of large-scale structures, has been attempted by a number of studies, effects at higher excitation frequencies remain severely unexplored. One of the major limitations stems from the lack of appropriate flow control devices that have sufficient dynamic response and/or control authority to be useful in turbulent flows, especially at higher speeds. To this end, the current study seeks to fulfill two main objectives. First, the design and characterization of two high-frequency fluidic actuators (25 and 60 kHz) are undertaken, where the target frequencies are guided by the dynamics of high-speed free jets. Second, the influence of high-frequency forcing on the aeroacoustics of high-speed jets is explored in some detail by implementing the nominally 25 kHz actuator on a Mach 0.9 (Re D = 5 x 105) free jet flow field. Subsequently, these findings are directly compared to the results of steady microjet injection experiments performed in the same rig and to prior jet noise control studies, where available. Finally, limited acoustic measurements were also performed by implementing the nominally 25 kHz actuators on jets at higher Mach numbers, including shock containing jets, and elevated temperatures. Using lumped element modeling as an initial guide, the current

  13. Experimental investigation on frequency characteristics of plasma synthetic jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zong, Haohua; Kotsonis, Marios

    2017-11-01

    The performance of a two-electrode plasma synthetic jet actuator (PSJA) is investigated for a wide range of dimensionless actuation frequencies ( f*) using high-speed phase-locked particle imaging velocimetry measurements. The jet-induced velocity fields in the axisymmetric plane are measured during both transient and steady working stages of the PSJA. When f* increases, the jet duration time (Tjet) is reduced, while the peak suction velocity (Us) increases consistently. Three integral parameters including the total expelled gas mass, impulse, and issued mechanical energy also decline considerably with increasing frequency, which is shown to relate to both the reduced cavity density and the decreasing jet duration. Theoretical analysis reveals that the mean cavity density decreases monotonically with the square root of the discharge frequency. The decreasing rate is inversely proportional to a thermal cut-off frequency ( fc, 210 Hz for the current study), which scales with the convective heat transfer coefficient between the actuator cavity walls and the cavity gas, as well as the area of the cavity internal surface. In the time-averaged velocity fields, the jet centreline velocity (U¯ c) exhibits a local maximum in the axial coordinate. The nondimensional maximum centreline velocity reduces with increasing frequency of operation. The jet spreading rate of the plasma synthetic jets (PSJs) decreases from 0.14 to 0.09 with increasing frequency. During the transient working stage of a PSJ, the exit velocity trace elapses 20 successive actuation cycles to stabilize. In contrast to the exit velocity, approximately 130 cycles are needed for the mean cavity density/temperature to reach steady values.

  14. A Resonant Pulse Detonation Actuator for High-Speed Boundary Layer Separation Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beck, B. T.; Cutler, A. D.; Drummond, J. P.; Jones, S. B.

    2004-01-01

    A variety of different types of actuators have been previously investigated as flow control devices. Potential applications include the control of boundary layer separation in external flows, as well as jet engine inlet and diffuser flow control. The operating principles for such devices are typically based on either mechanical deflection of control surfaces (which include MEMS flap devices), mass injection (which includes combustion driven jet actuators), or through the use of synthetic jets (diaphragm devices which produce a pulsating jet with no net mass flow). This paper introduces some of the initial flow visualization work related to the development of a relatively new type of combustion-driven jet actuator that has been proposed based on a pulse detonation principle. The device is designed to utilize localized detonation of a premixed fuel (Hydrogen)-air mixture to periodically inject a jet of gas transversely into the primary flow. Initial testing with airflow successfully demonstrated resonant conditions within the range of acoustic frequencies expected for the design. Schlieren visualization of the pulsating air jet structure revealed axially symmetric vortex flow, along with the formation of shocks. Flow visualization of the first successful sustained oscillation condition is also demonstrated for one configuration of the current test section. Future testing will explore in more detail the onset of resonant combustion and the approach to conditions of sustained resonant detonation.

  15. LES-based characterization of a suction and oscillatory blowing fluidic actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jeonglae; Moin, Parviz

    2015-11-01

    Recently, a novel fluidic actuator using steady suction and oscillatory blowing was developed for control of turbulent flows. The suction and oscillatory blowing (SaOB) actuator combines steady suction and pulsed oscillatory blowing into a single device. The actuation is based upon a self-sustained mechanism of confined jets and does not require any moving parts. The control output is determined by a pressure source and the geometric details, and no additional input is needed. While its basic mechanisms have been investigated to some extent, detailed characteristics of internal turbulent flows are not well understood. In this study, internal flows of the SaOB actuator are simulated using large-eddy simulation (LES). Flow characteristics within the actuator are described in detail for a better understanding of the physical mechanisms and improving the actuator design. LES predicts the self-sustained oscillations of the turbulent jet. Switching frequency, maximum velocity at the actuator outlets, and wall pressure distribution are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. The computational results are used to develop simplified boundary conditions for numerical experiments of active flow control. Supported by the Boeing company.

  16. Piezoelectric-based actuators for improved tractor-trailer performance (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Menicovich, David; Amitay, Michael; Gallardo, Daniele

    2017-04-01

    The application of piezo-electrically-driven synthetic-jet-based active flow control to reduce drag on tractor-trailers and to improve thermal mixing in refrigerated trailers was explored on full-scale tests. The active flow control technique that is being used relies on a modular system comprised of distributed, small, highly efficient actuators. These actuators, called synthetic jets, are jets that are synthesized at the edge of an orifice by a periodic motion of a piezoelectric diaphragm(s) mounted on one (or more) walls of a sealed cavity. The synthetic jet is zero net mass flux (ZNMF), but it allows momentum transfer to flow. It is typically driven near diaphragm and/or cavity resonance, and therefore, small electric input [O(10W)] is required. Another advantage of this actuator is that no plumbing is required. The system doesn't require changes to the body of the truck, can be easily reconfigured to various types of vehicles, and consumes small amounts of electrical power from the existing electrical system of the truck. The actuators are operated in a closed feedback loop based on inputs received from the tractor's electronic control unit, various system components and environmental sensors. The data are collected and processed on-board and transmitted to a cloud-based data management platform for further big data analytics and diagnostics. The system functions as a smart connected product through the interchange of data between the physical truck-mounted system and its cloud platform.

  17. Aerosol-Jet-Printing silicone layers and electrodes for stacked dielectric elastomer actuators in one processing device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reitelshöfer, Sebastian; Göttler, Michael; Schmidt, Philip; Treffer, Philipp; Landgraf, Maximilian; Franke, Jörg

    2016-04-01

    In this contribution we present recent findings of our efforts to qualify the so called Aerosol-Jet-Printing process as an additive manufacturing approach for stacked dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). With the presented system we are able to print the two essential structural elements dielectric layer and electrode in one machine. The system is capable of generating RTV-2 silicone layers made of Wacker Elastosil P 7670. Therefore, two aerosol streams of both precursor components A and B are generated in parallel and mixed in one printing nozzle that is attached to a 4-axis kinematic. At maximum speed the printing of one circular Elastosil layer with a calculated thickness of 10 μm and a diameter of 1 cm takes 12 seconds while the process keeps stable for 4.5 hours allowing a quite high overall material output and the generation of numerous silicone layers. By adding a second printing nozzle and the infrastructure to generate a third aerosol, the system is also capable of printing inks with conductive particles in parallel to the silicone. We have printed a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) ink prepared in our lab to generate electrodes on VHB 4905, Elastosil foils and finally on Aerosol-Jet-Printed Elastosil layers. With rGO ink printed on Elastosil foil, layers with a 4-point measured sheet resistance as low as 4 kΩ can be realized leaving room for improving the electrode printing time, which at the moment is not as good as the quite good time-frame for printing the silicone layers. Up to now we have used the system to print a fully functional two-layer stacked DEA to demonstrate the principle of continuously 3D printing actuators.

  18. Characterization of Piezoelectric Actuators for Flow Control over a Wing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mossi, Karla M.; Bryant, Robert G.

    2004-01-01

    During the past decade, piezoelectric actuators as the active element in synthetic jets demonstrated that they could significantly enhance the overall lift on an airfoil. However, durability, system weight, size, and power have limited their use outside a laboratory. These problems are not trivial, since piezoelectric actuators are physically brittle and display limited displacement. The objective of this study is to characterize the relevant properties for the design of a synthetic jet utilizing three types of piezoelectric actuators as mechanical diaphragms, Radial Field Diaphragms, Thunders, and Bimorphs so that the shape cavity volume does not exceed 147.5 cubic centimeters on a 7centimeter x 7centimeter aerial coverage. These piezoelectric elements were selected because of their geometry, and overall free-displacement. Each actuator was affixed about its perimeter in a cavity, and relevant parameters such as clamped displacement variations with voltage and frequency, air velocities produced through an aperture, and sound pressure levels produced by the piezoelectric diaphragms were measured.

  19. Decay characteristics of wake vortices from jet transport aircraft

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-06

    For more than two decades cw doppler lidars have been used to study the decay of wake vortices generated by : jet transport aircraft. With appropriate scan and data processing strategies, the vortex tangential velocity profile can : be measured every...

  20. Roll-Yaw control at high angle of attack by forebody tangential blowing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pedreiro, N.; Rock, S. M.; Celik, Z. Z.; Roberts, L.

    1995-01-01

    The feasibility of using forebody tangential blowing to control the roll-yaw motion of a wind tunnel model is experimentally demonstrated. An unsteady model of the aerodynamics is developed based on the fundamental physics of the flow. Data from dynamic experiments is used to validate the aerodynamic model. A unique apparatus is designed and built that allows the wind tunnel model two degrees of freedom, roll and yaw. Dynamic experiments conducted at 45 degrees angle of attack reveal the system to be unstable. The natural motion is divergent. The aerodynamic model is incorporated into the equations of motion of the system and used for the design of closed loop control laws that make the system stable. These laws are proven through dynamic experiments in the wind tunnel using blowing as the only actuator. It is shown that asymmetric blowing is a highly non-linear effector that can be linearized by superimposing symmetric blowing. The effects of forebody tangential blowing and roll and yaw angles on the flow structure are determined through flow visualization experiments. The transient response of roll and yaw moments to a step input blowing are determined. Differences on the roll and yaw moment dependence on blowing are explained based on the physics of the phenomena.

  1. Roll-yaw control at high angle of attack by forebody tangential blowing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pedreiro, N.; Rock, S. M.; Celik, Z. Z.; Roberts, L.

    1995-01-01

    The feasibility of using forebody tangential blowing to control the roll-yaw motion of a wind tunnel model is experimentally demonstrated. An unsteady model of the aerodynamics is developed based on the fundamental physics of the flow. Data from dynamic experiments is used to validate the aerodynamic model. A unique apparatus is designed and built that allows the wind tunnel model two degrees of freedom, roll and yaw. Dynamic experiments conducted at 45 degrees angle of attack reveal the system to be unstable. The natural motion is divergent. The aerodynamic model is incorporated into the equations of motion of the system and used for the design of closed loop control laws that make the system stable. These laws are proven through dynamic experiments in the wind tunnel using blowing as the only actuator. It is shown that asymmetric blowing is a highly non-linear effector that can be linearized by superimposing symmetric blowing. The effects of forebody tangential blowing and roll and yaw angles on the flow structure are determined through flow visualization experiments. The transient response of roll and yaw moments to a step input blowing are determined. Differences on the roll and yaw moment dependence on blowing are explained based on the physics of the phenomena.

  2. Euler force actuation mechanism for siphon valving in compact disk-like microfluidic chips.

    PubMed

    Deng, Yongbo; Fan, Jianhua; Zhou, Song; Zhou, Teng; Wu, Junfeng; Li, Yin; Liu, Zhenyu; Xuan, Ming; Wu, Yihui

    2014-03-01

    Based on the Euler force induced by the acceleration of compact disk (CD)-like microfluidic chip, this paper presents a novel actuation mechanism for siphon valving. At the preliminary stage of acceleration, the Euler force in the tangential direction of CD-like chip takes the primary place compared with the centrifugal force to function as the actuation of the flow, which fills the siphon and actuates the siphon valving. The Euler force actuation mechanism is demonstrated by the numerical solution of the phase-field based mathematical model for the flow in siphon valve. In addition, experimental validation is implemented in the polymethylmethacrylate-based CD-like microfluidic chip manufactured using CO2 laser engraving technique. To prove the application of the proposed Euler force actuation mechanism, whole blood separation and plasma extraction has been conducted using the Euler force actuated siphon valving. The newly introduced actuation mechanism overcomes the dependence on hydrophilic capillary filling of siphon by avoiding external manipulation or surface treatments of polymeric material. The sacrifice for highly integrated processing in pneumatic pumping technique is also prevented by excluding the volume-occupied compressed air chamber.

  3. Euler force actuation mechanism for siphon valving in compact disk-like microfluidic chips

    PubMed Central

    Deng, Yongbo; Fan, Jianhua; Zhou, Song; Zhou, Teng; Wu, Junfeng; Li, Yin; Liu, Zhenyu; Xuan, Ming; Wu, Yihui

    2014-01-01

    Based on the Euler force induced by the acceleration of compact disk (CD)-like microfluidic chip, this paper presents a novel actuation mechanism for siphon valving. At the preliminary stage of acceleration, the Euler force in the tangential direction of CD-like chip takes the primary place compared with the centrifugal force to function as the actuation of the flow, which fills the siphon and actuates the siphon valving. The Euler force actuation mechanism is demonstrated by the numerical solution of the phase-field based mathematical model for the flow in siphon valve. In addition, experimental validation is implemented in the polymethylmethacrylate-based CD-like microfluidic chip manufactured using CO2 laser engraving technique. To prove the application of the proposed Euler force actuation mechanism, whole blood separation and plasma extraction has been conducted using the Euler force actuated siphon valving. The newly introduced actuation mechanism overcomes the dependence on hydrophilic capillary filling of siphon by avoiding external manipulation or surface treatments of polymeric material. The sacrifice for highly integrated processing in pneumatic pumping technique is also prevented by excluding the volume-occupied compressed air chamber. PMID:24753736

  4. Theoretical analysis and design of hydro-hammer with a jet actuator: An engineering application to improve the penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard rock formations.

    PubMed

    He, Jiang-Fu; Liang, Yun-Pei; Li, Li-Jia; Luo, Yong-Jiang

    2018-01-01

    Rapid horizontal directional well drilling in hard or fractured formations requires efficient drilling technology. The penetration rate of conventional hard rock drilling technology in horizontal directional well excavations is relatively low, resulting in multiple overgrinding of drill cuttings in bottom boreholes. Conventional drilling techniques with reamer or diamond drill bit face difficulties due to the long construction periods, low penetration rates, and high engineering costs in the directional well drilling of hard rock. To improve the impact energy and penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard formations, a new drilling system with a percussive and rotary drilling technology has been proposed, and a hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has also been theoretically designed on the basis of the impulse hydro-turbine pressure model. In addition, the performance parameters of the hydro-hammer with a jet actuator have been numerically and experimentally analyzed, and the influence of impact stroke and pumped flow rate on the motion velocity and impact energy of the hydro-hammer has been obtained. Moreover, the designed hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has been applied to hard rock drilling in a trenchless drilling program. The motion velocity of the hydro-hammer ranges from 1.2 m/s to 3.19 m/s with diverse flow rates and impact strokes, and the motion frequency ranges from 10 Hz to 22 Hz. Moreover, the maximum impact energy of the hydro-hammer is 407 J, and the pumped flow rate is 2.3 m3/min. Thus, the average penetration rate of the optimized hydro-hammer improves by over 30% compared to conventional directional drilling in hard rock formations.

  5. Theoretical analysis and design of hydro-hammer with a jet actuator: An engineering application to improve the penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard rock formations

    PubMed Central

    He, Jiang-fu; Li, Li-jia; Luo, Yong-jiang

    2018-01-01

    Rapid horizontal directional well drilling in hard or fractured formations requires efficient drilling technology. The penetration rate of conventional hard rock drilling technology in horizontal directional well excavations is relatively low, resulting in multiple overgrinding of drill cuttings in bottom boreholes. Conventional drilling techniques with reamer or diamond drill bit face difficulties due to the long construction periods, low penetration rates, and high engineering costs in the directional well drilling of hard rock. To improve the impact energy and penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard formations, a new drilling system with a percussive and rotary drilling technology has been proposed, and a hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has also been theoretically designed on the basis of the impulse hydro-turbine pressure model. In addition, the performance parameters of the hydro-hammer with a jet actuator have been numerically and experimentally analyzed, and the influence of impact stroke and pumped flow rate on the motion velocity and impact energy of the hydro-hammer has been obtained. Moreover, the designed hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has been applied to hard rock drilling in a trenchless drilling program. The motion velocity of the hydro-hammer ranges from 1.2 m/s to 3.19 m/s with diverse flow rates and impact strokes, and the motion frequency ranges from 10 Hz to 22 Hz. Moreover, the maximum impact energy of the hydro-hammer is 407 J, and the pumped flow rate is 2.3 m3/min. Thus, the average penetration rate of the optimized hydro-hammer improves by over 30% compared to conventional directional drilling in hard rock formations. PMID:29768421

  6. Rotating Stall Suppression Using Oscillatory Blowing Actuation on Blades

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-30

    severe mechanical vibrations. Certainly, violent surge cannot be tolerated in an aircraft jet engine because of the danger of mechanical failure or...isolated airfoils increases the stall angle. Therefore, herein it was hypothesized that when a stall cell reaches a blade with jet actuation, the stall...Detailed view of the jet slot. Figure 2.30: Wing fences mounted on test blade (with the neighboring airfoils re- moved). (a) Attachment and pipe (b

  7. Analysis of High Speed Jets Produced by a Servo Tube Driven Liquid Jet Injector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Portaro, Rocco; Ng, Hoi Dick

    2017-11-01

    In today's healthcare environment many types of medication must be administered through the use of hypodermic needles. Although this practice has been in use for many years, drawbacks such as accidental needle stick injuries, transmission of deadly viruses and bio-hazardous waste are still present. This study focuses on improving a needle free technology known as liquid jet injection, through the implementation of a linear servo tube actuator for the construction of a fully closed loop liquid jet injection system. This device has the ability to deliver both micro- and macro- molecules, high viscosity fluids whilst providing real time control of the jet pressure profile for accurate depth and dispersion control. The experiments are conducted using a prototype that consists of a 3 kW servo tube actuator, coupled to a specially designed injection head allowing nozzle size and injection volume to be varied. The device is controlled via a high speed servo amplifier and FPGA. The high speed jets emanating from the injector are assessed via high speed photography and through the use of a force transducer. Preliminary results indicate that the system allows for accurate shaping of the jet pressure profile, making it possible to target different tissue depths/types accurately.

  8. Experimental investigation on a vectorized aerodynamic dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neretti, Gabriele; Cristofolini, Andrea; Borghi, Carlo A.

    2014-04-01

    The Electro-Hydro-Dynamics (EHD) interaction, induced in atmospheric pressure still air by a surface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuator, had been experimentally studied. A plasma aerodynamic actuator array, able to produce a vectorized jet, with the induced airflow oriented toward the desired direction, had been developed. The array was constituted by a sequence of single surface DBD actuators with kapton as dielectric material. An ac voltage in the range of 0-6 kV peak at 15 kHz had been used. The vectorization had been obtained by feeding the upper electrodes with different voltages and by varying the electrical connections. The lower electrodes had been connected either to ground or to the high voltage source, to produce the desired jet orientation and to avoid plasma formation acting in an undesired direction. Voltage and current measurements had been carried out to evaluate waveforms and to estimate the active power delivered to the discharge. Schlieren imaging allowed to visualize the induced jet and to estimate its orientation. Pitot measurements had been performed to obtain velocity profiles for all jet configurations. A proportional relation between the jet deflection angle and the applied voltage had been found. Moreover, a linear relation had been obtained between the maximum speed in the jet direction and the applied voltage. The active power of the discharge is approximated by both a power law function and an exponential function of the applied voltage.

  9. Separated Flow Control with Actuated Membrane Wings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bohnker, Jillian; Breuer, Kenneth

    2017-11-01

    By perturbing shear layer instabilities, some level of control over highly separated flows can be established, as has been demonstrated on rigid wings using synthetic jet actuators or acoustic excitation. Here, we demonstrate similar phenomena using sinusoidal actuation of a dielectric membrane wing. The effect of actuation on lift is examined as a function of freestream velocity (5-25 m/s), angle of attack (10°-40°), and actuation frequency (0.1 actuation voltage is shown with phase-averaged particle image velocimetry (PIV), as well as corresponding lift. Dynamic mode decomposition is used to show coherent vortex shedding in the flow field. Membrane kinematics are tracked using time-resolved direct linear transformation (DLT), and the vibration is shown to be dominated by actuation, rather than passive deformation. Finally, both the strengths and limitations of the current actuation mechanism will be discussed. Also affiliated with Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport.

  10. Integration of fluidic jet actuators in composite structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schueller, Martin; Lipowski, Mathias; Schirmer, Eckart; Walther, Marco; Otto, Thomas; Geßner, Thomas; Kroll, Lothar

    2015-04-01

    Fluidic Actuated Flow Control (FAFC) has been introduced as a technology that influences the boundary layer by actively blowing air through slots or holes in the aircraft skin or wind turbine rotor blade. Modern wing structures are or will be manufactured using composite materials. In these state of the art systems, AFC actuators are integrated in a hybrid approach. The new idea is to directly integrate the active fluidic elements (such as SJAs and PJAs) and their components in the structure of the airfoil. Consequently, the integration of such fluidic devices must fit the manufacturing process and the material properties of the composite structure. The challenge is to integrate temperature-sensitive active elements and to realize fluidic cavities at the same time. The transducer elements will be provided for the manufacturing steps using roll-to-roll processes. The fluidic parts of the actuators will be manufactured using the MuCell® process that provides on the one hand the defined reproduction of the fluidic structures and, on the other hand, a high light weight index. Based on the first design concept, a demonstrator was developed in order to proof the design approach. The output velocity on the exit was measured using a hot-wire anemometer.

  11. Computational analysis of forebody tangential slot blowing on the high alpha research vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gee, Ken

    1994-01-01

    Current and future fighter aircraft can maneuver in the high-angle-of-attack flight regime while flying at low subsonic and transonic freestream Mach numbers. However, at any flight speed, the ability of the vertical tails to generate yawing moment is limited in high-angle-of-attack flight. Thus, any system designed to provide the pilot with additional side force and yawing moment must work in both low subsonic and transonic flight. However, previous investigations of the effectiveness of forebody tangential slot blowing in generating the desired control forces and moments have been limited to the low subsonic freestream flow regime. In order to investigate the effectiveness of tangential slot blowing in transonic flight, a computational fluid dynamics analysis was carried out during the grant period. Computational solutions were obtained at three different freestream Mach numbers and at various jet mass flow ratios. All results were obtained using the isolated F/A-18 forebody grid geometry at 30.3 degrees angle of attack. One goal of the research was to determine the effect of freestream Mach number on the effectiveness of forebody tangential slot blowing in generating yawing moment. The second part of the research studied the force onset time lag associated with blowing. The time required for the yawing moment to reach a steady-state value from the onset of blowing may have an impact on the implementation of a pneumatic system on a flight vehicle.

  12. Vectoring of parallel synthetic jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berk, Tim; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram; Gomit, Guillaume

    2015-11-01

    A pair of parallel synthetic jets can be vectored by applying a phase difference between the two driving signals. The resulting jet can be merged or bifurcated and either vectored towards the actuator leading in phase or the actuator lagging in phase. In the present study, the influence of phase difference and Strouhal number on the vectoring behaviour is examined experimentally. Phase-locked vorticity fields, measured using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), are used to track vortex pairs. The physical mechanisms that explain the diversity in vectoring behaviour are observed based on the vortex trajectories. For a fixed phase difference, the vectoring behaviour is shown to be primarily influenced by pinch-off time of vortex rings generated by the synthetic jets. Beyond a certain formation number, the pinch-off timescale becomes invariant. In this region, the vectoring behaviour is determined by the distance between subsequent vortex rings. We acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC grant agreement no. 277472).

  13. Design of diaphragm actuator based on ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Yuanchang; Taya, Minoru; Kuga, Yasuo

    2003-08-01

    A new diaphragm actuator based on the ferromagnetic shape memory alloy (FSMA) composite is designed where the FSMA composite is composed of ferromagnetic soft iron and superelastic grade of NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA). The actuation mechanism for the FSMA composite plate of the actuator is the hybrid mechanism that we proposed previously. This diaphragm actuator is the first design toward designing a new synthetic jet actuator that will be used for active flow control technology on airplane wings. The design of the FSMA composite diaphragm actuator was established first by using both mechanical and ferromagnetic finite element analyses with an aim of optimization of the actuator components. Based on the FEM results, the first generation diaphragm actuator system was assembled and its static and dynamic performance was experimentally evaluated.

  14. Experimental verification of nanoparticle jet minimum quantity lubrication effectiveness in grinding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Dongzhou; Li, Changhe; Zhang, Dongkun; Zhang, Yanbin; Zhang, Xiaowei

    2014-12-01

    In our experiment, K-P36 precision numerical control surface grinder was used for dry grinding, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) grinding, nanoparticle jet MQL grinding, and traditional flood grinding of hardened 45 steel. A three-dimensional dynamometer was used to measure grinding force in the experiment. In this research, experiments were conducted to measure and calculate specific tangential grinding force, frictional coefficient, and specific grinding energy, thus verifying the lubrication performance of nanoparticles in surface grinding. Findings present that compared with dry grinding, the specific tangential grinding force of MQL grinding, nanoparticle jet MQL grinding, and flood grinding decreased by 45.88, 62.34, and 69.33 %, respectively. Their frictional coefficient was reduced by 11.22, 29.21, and 32.18 %, and the specific grinding energy declined by 45.89, 62.34, and 69.45 %, respectively. Nanoparticle jet MQL presented ideal lubrication effectiveness, which was attributed to the friction oil film with strong antifriction and anti-wear features formed by nanoparticles on the grinding wheel/workpiece interface. Moreover, lubricating properties of nanoparticles of the same size (50 nm) but different types were verified through experimentation. In our experiment, ZrO2 nanoparticles, polycrystal diamond (PCD) nanoparticles, and MoS2 nanoparticles were used in the comparison of nanoparticle jet MQL grinding. The experimental results manifest that MoS2 nanoparticles exhibited the optimal lubricating effectiveness, followed by PCD nanoparticles. Our research also integrated the properties of different nanoparticles to analyze the lubrication mechanisms of different nanoparticles. The experiment further verified the impact of nanoparticle concentration on the effectiveness of nanoparticle jet MQL in grinding. The experimental results demonstrate that when the nanoparticle mass fraction was 6 %, the minimum specific tangential grinding force, frictional

  15. Design and proof of concept for multi degree of freedom hydrostatically coupled dielectric elastomer actuators with roto-translational kinematics for object handling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Acutis, A.; Calabrese, L.; Bau, A.; Tincani, V.; Pugno, N. M.; Bicchi, A.; De Rossi, D. E.

    2018-07-01

    In this article we present an upgraded design of the existing push–pull hydrostatically coupled dielectric elastomer actuator (HC-DEA) for use in the field of soft manipulators. The new design has segmented electrodes, which stand as four independent elements on the active membrane of the actuator. When properly operated, the actuator can generate both out of plane and in-plane motions resulting in a multi-degrees of freedom soft actuator able to exert both normal pushes (like a traditional HC-DEA) and tangential thrusts. This novel design makes the actuator suitable for delicate flat object transportation. In order to use the actuator in soft systems, we experimentally characterized its electromechanical transduction and modeled its contact mechanics. Finally, we show that the proposed actuator can be employed as a modular unit to develop active surfaces for flat object roto-translation.

  16. An overview of active flow control actuators and applications (presentation video)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brzozowski, Daniel; Whalen, Edward A.

    2014-04-01

    Active Flow Control (AFC) is an emerging technology which promises performance enhancements to both military and civilian aircraft. A technique which uses energy input at discrete locations to manipulate the flow over an aerodynamic surface, AFC may be used to reduce drag, prevent flow separation, and enable otherwise-infeasible aerodynamic designs. Additional applications include shear layer and turbulence control for aero-optics applications and mixing enhancement for thermal applications. Many AFC applications call for a high frequency fluidic perturbation provided by an electrically-powered actuator. In these instances, piezoelectric (PZT) materials have served as the workhorse for flow control actuators, such as the widely-studied synthetic jet. Because the PZT materials form the critical component of the actuator, the maximum performance of the synthetic jet (velocity and momentum output) is limited by the physical limitations of the PZT material. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a high level overview of AFC actuators and applications in an attempt to engage the smart materials community and encourage advanced material development in support of these crucial applications.

  17. Synthetic Jet Interactions with Flows of Varying Separation Severity and Spanwise Flow Magnitude

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monastero, Marianne; Lindstrom, Annika; Amitay, Michael

    2017-11-01

    Flow physics associated with the interactions of synthetic jet actuators with a highly three-dimensional separated flow over a flapped airfoil were investigated experimentally and analyzed using stereo particle image velocimetry (SPIV) and surface pressure data. Increased understanding of active flow control devices in flows which are representative of airplane wings or tails can lead to actuator placement (i.e., chordwise location, spanwise spacing) with the greatest beneficial effect on performance. An array of discrete synthetic jets was located just upstream of the control surface hingeline and operated at a blowing ratio of 1 and non-dimensional frequency of 48. Detailed flowfield measurements over the control surface were conducted, where the airfoil's sweep angle and the control surface deflection angle were fixed at 20°. Focus was placed on the local and global flowfields as spanwise actuator spacing was varied. Moreover, surface pressure measurement for several sweep angles, control surface deflection angles, and angles of attack were also performed. Actuation resulted in an overall separation reduction and a dependence of local flowfield details (i.e. separation severity, spanwise flow magnitude, flow structures, and jet trajectory) on spanwise jet spacing. The Boeing Company.

  18. A new class of actuator surface models for wind turbines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Xiaolei; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

    2018-05-01

    Actuator line model has been widely employed in wind turbine simulations. However, the standard actuator line model does not include a model for the turbine nacelle which can significantly impact turbine wake characteristics as shown in the literature. Another disadvantage of the standard actuator line model is that more geometrical features of turbine blades cannot be resolved on a finer mesh. To alleviate these disadvantages of the standard model, we develop a new class of actuator surface models for turbine blades and nacelle to take into account more geometrical details of turbine blades and include the effect of turbine nacelle. In the actuator surface model for blade, the aerodynamic forces calculated using the blade element method are distributed from the surface formed by the foil chords at different radial locations. In the actuator surface model for nacelle, the forces are distributed from the actual nacelle surface with the normal force component computed in the same way as in the direct forcing immersed boundary method and the tangential force component computed using a friction coefficient and a reference velocity of the incoming flow. The actuator surface model for nacelle is evaluated by simulating the flow over periodically placed nacelles. Both the actuator surface simulation and the wall-resolved large-eddy simulation are carried out. The comparison shows that the actuator surface model is able to give acceptable results especially at far wake locations on a very coarse mesh. It is noted that although this model is employed for the turbine nacelle in this work, it is also applicable to other bluff bodies. The capability of the actuator surface model in predicting turbine wakes is assessed by simulating the flow over the MEXICO (Model experiments in Controlled Conditions) turbine and a hydrokinetic turbine.

  19. A saw-tooth plasma actuator for film cooling efficiency enhancement of a shaped hole

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Guozhan; Yu, Jianyang; Liu, Huaping; Chen, Fu; Song, Yanping

    2017-08-01

    This paper reports the large eddy simulations of the effects of a saw-tooth plasma actuator and the laidback fan-shaped hole on the film cooling flow characteristics, and the numerical results are compared with a corresponding standard configuration (cylindrical hole without the saw-tooth plasma actuator). For this numerical research, the saw-tooth plasma actuator is installed just downstream of the cooling hole and a phenomenological plasma model is employed to provide the 3D plasma force vectors. The results show that thanks to the downward force and the momentum injection effect of the saw-tooth plasma actuator, the cold jet comes closer to the wall surface and extends further downstream. The saw-tooth plasma actuator also induces a new pair of vortex which weakens the strength of the counter-rotating vortex pair (CRVP) and entrains the coolant towards the wall, and thus the diffusion of the cold jet in the crossflow is suppressed. Furthermore, the laidback fan-shaped hole reduces the vertical jet velocity causing the disappearance of downstream spiral separation node vortices, this compensates for the deficiency of the saw-tooth plasma actuator. Both effects of the laidback fan-shaped hole and the saw-tooth plasma actuator effectively control the development of the CRVP whose size and strength are smaller than those of the anti-counter rotating vortex pair in the far field, thus the centerline and the spanwise-averaged film cooling efficiency are enhanced. The average film cooling efficiency is the biggest in the Fan-Dc = 1 case, which is 80% bigger than that in the Fan-Dc = 0 case and 288% bigger than that in the Cyl-Dc = 0 case.

  20. Time-frequency analysis of submerged synthetic jet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Abhay; Saha, Arun K.; Panigrahi, P. K.

    2017-12-01

    The coherent structures transport the finite body of fluid mass through rolling which plays an important role in heat transfer, boundary layer control, mixing, cooling, propulsion and other engineering applications. A synthetic jet in the form of a train of vortex rings having coherent structures of different length scales is expected to be useful in these applications. The propagation and sustainability of these coherent structures (vortex rings) in downstream direction characterize the performance of synthetic jet. In the present study, the velocity signal acquired using the S-type hot-film probe along the synthetic jet centerline has been taken for the spectral analysis. One circular and three rectangular orifices of aspect ratio 1, 2 and 4 actuating at 1, 6 and 18 Hz frequency have been used for creating different synthetic jets. The laser induced fluorescence images are used to study the flow structures qualitatively and help in explaining the velocity signal for detection of coherent structures. The study depicts four regions as vortex rollup and suction region (X/D h ≤ 3), steadily translating region (X/D h ≤ 3-8), vortex breakup region (X/Dh ≤ 4-8) and dissipation of small-scale vortices (X/D h ≤ 8-15). The presence of coherent structures localized in physical and temporal domain is analyzed for the characterization of synthetic jet. Due to pulsatile nature of synthetic jet, analysis of velocity time trace or signal in time, frequency and combined time-frequency domain assist in characterizing the signatures of coherent structures. It has been observed that the maximum energy is in the first harmonic of actuation frequency, which decreases slowly in downstream direction at 6 Hz compared to 1 and 18 Hz of actuation.

  1. Conserved pattern of tangential neuronal migration during forebrain development.

    PubMed

    Métin, Christine; Alvarez, Chantal; Moudoux, David; Vitalis, Tania; Pieau, Claude; Molnár, Zoltán

    2007-08-01

    Origin, timing and direction of neuronal migration during brain development determine the distinct organization of adult structures. Changes in these processes might have driven the evolution of the forebrain in vertebrates. GABAergic neurons originate from the ganglionic eminence in mammals and migrate tangentially to the cortex. We are interested in differences and similarities in tangential migration patterns across corresponding telencephalic territories in mammals and reptiles. Using morphological criteria and expression patterns of Darpp-32, Tbr1, Nkx2.1 and Pax6 genes, we show in slice cultures of turtle embryos that early cohorts of tangentially migrating cells are released from the medial ganglionic eminence between stages 14 and 18. Additional populations migrate tangentially from the dorsal subpallium. Large cohorts of tangentially migrating neurons originate ventral to the dorsal ventricular ridge at stage 14 and from the lateral ganglionic eminence from stage 15. Release of GABAergic cells from these regions was investigated further in explant cultures. Tangential migration in turtle proceeds in a fashion similar to mammals. In chimeric slice culture and in ovo graft experiments, the tangentially migrating cells behaved according to the host environment - turtle cells responded to the available cues in mouse slices and mouse cells assumed characteristic migratory routes in turtle brains, indicating highly conserved embryonic signals between these distant species. Our study contributes to the evaluation of theories on the origin of the dorsal cortex and indicates that tangential migration is universal in mammals and sauropsids.

  2. Measurements and Simulations of Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharges Used as Plasma Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoskinson, Alan R.

    2012-01-01

    This report is a Ph.D. dissertation performed under NRA cooperative agreement and submitted as part of the final report. Asymmetric surface dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) have shown promise for use as aerodynamic actuators for active flow control. In this project we studied DBD actuators experimentally and numerically. Our DBDs used a symmetric triangular high voltage waveform to generate plasma in atmospheric pressure air. Time-averaged measurements indicated that the induced force of a single barrier actuator design (one electrode insulated from the plasma) can be increased exponentially above the results of previous studies by decreasing both the length and thickness of the electrode exposed to the plasma. This increased force may allow these devices to control flow separation in a wider range of flow environments. Experiments using an intensified digital camera to examine the plasma on time scales of a few nanoseconds showed that, in addition to the previously-observed filamentary and jet-like plasma structures, discharges with very thin exposed electrodes exhibited a weak but constant plasma immediately adjacent to those electrodes. In double-barrier actuators (both electrodes insulated), decreasing the diameter of the narrower electrode lead to increasing forces, and recorded images showed the simultaneous existence of both filamentary and jet-like plasma structures. The development and application of a time-dependent, two-dimensional computational fluid plasma model has aided in understanding the detailed physics of surface DBDs at all-time scales. For simulated single-barrier discharges, the model qualitatively reproduced the filamentary and jet-like micro-discharge structures. The model was somewhat successful in reproducing the observed characteristics of double-barrier actuators. For both actuator geometries, the model indicated that the majority of the forces induced on the neutral gas occur in between micro-discharges as the plasmas decay.

  3. Temporal and Spatial Response of a Turbulent Boundary Layer to Forcing by Synthetic Jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanson, Ronald; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram; Lavoie, Philippe

    2016-11-01

    In this experimental study we examine the spatial and temporal response of a turbulent boundary layer affected by a single, and pair of, synthetic jet actuator(s). The spatial signature of the boundary layer mean-flow has been previously shown to result from large vortical motions caused by the interaction between the synthetic jets and the cross flow. By means of hot-wire measurements, phase-locked to the synthetic jet input, the propagation of the unsteady disturbance can be quantified over the actuation cycle of a synthetic jet. Using long samples both the phase-locked variation of the periodic (actuation cycle) and turbulent fluctuations are examined. It is shown that both the mean flow and turbulence characteristics are markedly different across the span, owing to the three dimensionality of the upstream input. Further, the disturbance shape and phase of the phase-locked disturbance varies significantly with forcing level, in part owing to the disruption of the mean velocity. Particular focus is given to the interaction occurring between the near-wall and outer region scales, which vary across the span, with respect to various forcing conditions. The financial support of Airbus is gratefully acknowledged.

  4. Computational analysis of forebody tangential slot blowing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gee, Ken; Agosta-Greenman, Roxana M.; Rizk, Yehia M.; Schiff, Lewis B.; Cummings, Russell M.

    1994-01-01

    An overview of the computational effort to analyze forebody tangential slot blowing is presented. Tangential slot blowing generates side force and yawing moment which may be used to control an aircraft flying at high-angle-of-attack. Two different geometries are used in the analysis: (1) The High Alpha Research Vehicle; and (2) a generic chined forebody. Computations using the isolated F/A-18 forebody are obtained at full-scale wind tunnel test conditions for direct comparison with available experimental data. The effects of over- and under-blowing on force and moment production are analyzed. Time-accurate solutions using the isolated forebody are obtained to study the force onset timelag of tangential slot blowing. Computations using the generic chined forebody are obtained at experimental wind tunnel conditions, and the results compared with available experimental data. This computational analysis compliments the experimental results and provides a detailed understanding of the effects of tangential slot blowing on the flow field about simple and complex geometries.

  5. Obliquity dependence of the tangential YORP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ševeček, P.; Golubov, O.; Scheeres, D. J.; Krugly, Yu. N.

    2016-08-01

    Context. The tangential Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect is a thermophysical effect that can alter the rotation rate of asteroids and is distinct from the so-called normal YORP effect, but to date has only been studied for asteroids with zero obliquity. Aims: We aim to study the tangential YORP force produced by spherical boulders on the surface of an asteroid with an arbitrary obliquity. Methods: A finite element method is used to simulate heat conductivity inside a boulder, to find the recoil force experienced by it. Then an ellipsoidal asteroid uniformly covered by these types of boulders is considered and the torque is numerically integrated over its surface. Results: Tangential YORP is found to operate on non-zero obliquities and decreases by a factor of two for increasing obliquity.

  6. Deformations of free jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paruchuri, Srinivas

    This thesis studies three different problems. First we demonstrate that a flowing liquid jet can be controllably split into two separate subfilaments through the applications of a sufficiently strong tangential stress to the surface of the jet. In contrast, normal stresses can never split a liquid jet. We apply these results to observations of uncontrolled splitting of jets in electric fields. The experimental realization of controllable jet splitting would provide an entirely novel route for producing small polymeric fibers. In the second chapter we present an analytical model for the bending of liquid jets and sheets from temperature gradients, as recently observed by Chwalek et al. [Phys. Fluids, 14, L37 (2002)]. The bending arises from a local couple caused by Marangoni forces. The dependence of the bending angle on experimental parameters is presented, in qualitative agreement with reported experiments. The methodology gives a simple framework for understanding the mechanisms for jet and sheet bending. In chapter 4 we address the discrepancy between hydrodynamic theory of liquid jets, and the snap-off of narrow liquid jets observed in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations [23]. This has been previously attributed to the significant role of thermal fluctuations in nanofluidic systems. We argue that hydrodynamic description of such systems should include corrections to the Laplace pressure which result from the failure of the sharp interface assumption when the jet diameter becomes small enough. We show that this effect can in principle give rise to jet shapes similar to those observed in MD simulations, even when thermal fluctuations are completely neglected. Finally we summarize an algorithm developed to simulate droplet impact on a smooth surface.

  7. Numerical Simulation of a High-Lift Configuration with Embedded Fluidic Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vatsa, Veer N.; Casalino, Damiano; Lin, John C.; Appelbaum, Jason

    2014-01-01

    Numerical simulations have been performed for a vertical tail configuration with deflected rudder. The suction surface of the main element of this configuration is embedded with an array of 32 fluidic actuators that produce oscillating sweeping jets. Such oscillating jets have been found to be very effective for flow control applications in the past. In the current paper, a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code known as the PowerFLOW(Registered TradeMark) code is used to simulate the entire flow field associated with this configuration, including the flow inside the actuators. The computed results for the surface pressure and integrated forces compare favorably with measured data. In addition, numerical solutions predict the correct trends in forces with active flow control compared to the no control case. Effect of varying yaw and rudder deflection angles are also presented. In addition, computations have been performed at a higher Reynolds number to assess the performance of fluidic actuators at flight conditions.

  8. Active Chevrons for Jet Noise Reduction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Depuru-Mohan, N. K.; Doty, M. J.

    2017-01-01

    Jet noise is often a dominant component of aircraft noise, particularly at takeoff. To meet the stringent noise regulations, the aircraft industry is in a pressing need of advanced noise reduction concepts. In the present study, the potential of piezoelectrically-activated chevrons for jet noise reduction was experimentally investigated. The perturbations near the nozzle exit caused by piezoelectrically-activated chevrons could be used to modify the growth rate of the mixing layer and thereby potentially reduce jet noise. These perturbations are believed to increase the production of small-scale disturbances at the expense of large-scale turbulent structures. These large-scale turbulent structures are responsible for the dominant portion of the jet mixing noise, particularly low-frequency noise. Therefore, by exciting the static chevron geometry through piezoelectric actuators, an additional acoustic benefit could possibly be achieved. To aid in the initial implementation of this concept, several flat-faced faceted nozzles (four, six, and eight facets) were investigated. Among the faceted nozzles, it was found that the eight-faceted nozzle behaves very similarly to the round nozzle. Furthermore, among the faceted nozzles with static chevrons, the four-faceted nozzle with static chevrons was found to be most effective in terms of jet noise reduction. The piezoelectrically-activated chevrons reduced jet noise up to 2 dB compared to the same nozzle geometry without excitation. This benefit was observed over a wide range of excitation frequencies by applying very low voltages to the piezoelectric actuators.

  9. Efficient needle plasma actuators for flow control and surface cooling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Pengfei; Portugal, Sherlie; Roy, Subrata

    2015-07-01

    We introduce a milliwatt class needle actuator suitable for plasma channels, vortex generation, and surface cooling. Electrode configurations tested for a channel configuration show 1400% and 300% increase in energy conversion efficiency as compared to conventional surface and channel corona actuators, respectively, generating up to 3.4 m/s air jet across the channel outlet. The positive polarity of the needle is shown to have a beneficial effect on actuator efficiency. Needle-plate configuration is demonstrated for improving cooling of a flat surface with a 57% increase in convective heat transfer coefficient. Vortex generation by selective input signal manipulation is also demonstrated.

  10. Controlling the development of coherent structures in high speed jets and the resultant near field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Speth, Rachelle

    This work uses Large-Eddy Simulations to examine the effect of actuator parameters and jet exit properties on the evolution of coherent structures and their impact on the near-acoustic field without and with control. For the controlled cases, Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators (LAFPAs) are considered, and modeled with a simple heating approach that successfully reproduces the main observations and trends of experiments. A parametric study is first conducted, using the flapping mode (m = +/-1), to investigate the sensitivity of the results to various actuator parameters including: actuator model temperature, actuator duty cycle, and excitation frequency. It is shown by considering a Mach 1.3 jet at Reynolds number of 1 x 106 that the response of the jet is relatively insensitive to actuator model temperature within the limits of the experimentally measured temperature values. Furthermore, duty cycles in the range of 20%--90% were observed to be effective in reproducing the characteristic coherent structures of the flapping mode. Next, jet flow parameters were explored to determine the control authority under different operating conditions. To begin, the effect of the laminar nozzle exit boundary layer thickness was examined by varying its value from essentially uniform flow to 25% of the diameter. In the absence of control, the distance between the nozzle lip and the initial appearance of breakdown is proportional to the boundary-layer thickness, which is consistent with theory and previous results obtained by other researchers at Mach 0.9. The second flow parameter studied was the effect of Reynolds number on a Mach 1.3 jet controlled by the flapping mode at an excitation Strouhal number of 0.3. The higher Reynolds number (Re=1,100,000) jet exhibited reduced control authority compared to the Re=100,000 jet. Like the effect of increasing the nozzle exit boundary layer thickness, increasing the Reynolds number cause a reduction in spreading on the flapping plane

  11. Investigation of PVdF active diaphragms for synthetic jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bailo, Kelly C.; Brei, Diann E.; Calkins, Frederick T.

    2000-06-01

    Current research has shown that aircraft can gain significant aerodynamic performance benefits by employing active flow control (AFC). One of the enabling technologies of AFC is the synthetic jet. Synthetic jets, also known as zero-net-mass flux actuators, act as bi-directional pumps injecting high momentum air into the local aerodynamic flow. Previous work has concentrated on high frequency synthetic jets based on piezoelectric active diaphragms such as Thunder actuators. Low frequency synthetic jets present a unique challenge requiring large displacements, which current technology has difficulty meeting. Boeing is investigating novel shaped low frequency synthetic jets that can modify the flow over fixed aircraft wings. This paper present the initial study of two promising active diaphragm concepts: a crescent shape and an opposing bender shape. These active diaphragms were numerically modeled utilizing the general-purpose finite element code ABAQUS. Using the ABAQUS results, the dynamic volume change within each jet was calculated and incorporated into an analytical linear Bernoulli model to predict the velocities and pressures at the nozzle. Simulations were performed to determine trends to assist in selection of prototype configurations. Prototypes of both diaphragm concepts were constructed from polyvinylidene fluoride and experimentally tested at Boeing with promising results.

  12. Bi-tangential hybrid IMRT for sparing the shoulder in whole breast irradiation.

    PubMed

    Farace, P; Deidda, M A; Iamundo de Cumis, I; Iamundo de Curtis, I; Deiana, E; Farigu, R; Lay, G; Porru, S

    2013-11-01

    A bi-tangential technique is proposed to reduce undesired doses to the shoulder produced by standard tangential irradiation. A total of 6 patients affected by shoulder pain and reduced functional capacity after whole-breast irradiation were retrospectively analysed. The standard tangential plan used for treatment was compared with (1) a single bi-tangential plan where, to spare the shoulder, the lateral open tangent was split into two half-beams at isocentre, with the superior portion rotated by 10-20° medially with respect to the standard lateral beam; (2) a double bi-tangential plan, where both the tangential open beams were split. The planning target volume (PTV) coverage and the dose to the portion of muscles and axilla included in the standard tangential beams were compared. PTV95 % of standard plan (91.9 ± 3.8) was not significantly different from single bi-tangential plan (91.8 ± 3.4); a small but significant (p < 0.01) decrease was observed with the double bi-tangential plan (90.1 ± 3.7). A marked dose reduction to the muscle was produced by the single bi-tangential plan around 30-40 Gy. The application of the double bi-tangential technique further reduced the volume receiving around 20 Gy, but did not markedly affect the higher doses. The dose to the axilla was reduced both in the single and the double bi-tangential plans. The single bi-tangential technique would have been able to reduce the dose to shoulder and axilla, without compromising target coverage. This simple technique is valuable for irradiation after axillary lymph node dissection or in patients without dissection due to negative or low-volume sentinel lymph node disease.

  13. Computational Investigation of Tangential Slot Blowing on a Generic Chined Forebody

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Agosta-Greenman, Roxana M.; Gee, Ken; Cummings, Russell M.; Schiff, Lewis B.

    1995-01-01

    The effect of tangential slot blowing on the flowfield about a generic chined forebody at high angles of attack is investigated numerically using solutions of the thin-layer, Reynolds-averaged, Navier-Stokes equations. The effects of jet mass now ratios, angle of attack, and blowing slot location in the axial and circumferential directions are studied. The computed results compare well with available wind-tunnel experimental data. Computational results show that for a given mass now rate, the yawing moments generated by slot blowing increase as the body angle of attack increases. It is observed that greater changes in the yawing moments are produced by a slot located closest to the lip of the nose. Also, computational solutions show that inboard blowing across the top surface is more effective at generating yawing moments than blowing outboard from the bottom surface.

  14. Electron Jet Detected by MMS at Dipolarization Front

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, C. M.; Fu, H. S.; Vaivads, A.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Gershman, D. J.; Hwang, K.-J.; Chen, Z. Z.; Cao, D.; Xu, Y.; Yang, J.; Peng, F. Z.; Huang, S. Y.; Burch, J. L.; Giles, B. L.; Ergun, R. E.; Russell, C. T.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Le Contel, O.

    2018-01-01

    Using MMS high-resolution measurements, we present the first observation of fast electron jet (Ve 2,000 km/s) at a dipolarization front (DF) in the magnetotail plasma sheet. This jet, with scale comparable to the DF thickness ( 0.9 di), is primarily in the tangential plane to the DF current sheet and mainly undergoes the E × B drift motion; it contributes significantly to the current system at the DF, including a localized ring-current that can modify the DF topology. Associated with this fast jet, we observed a persistent normal electric field, strong lower hybrid drift waves, and strong energy conversion at the DF. Such strong energy conversion is primarily attributed to the electron-jet-driven current (E ṡ je ≈ 2 E ṡ ji), rather than the ion current suggested in previous studies.

  15. Interaction of a Synthetic Jet Actuator with a Severely Separated Crossflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jansen, Kenneth; Farnsworth, John; Rasquin, Michel; Rathay, Nick; Monastero, Marianne; Amitay, Michael

    2017-11-01

    A coordinated experimental/computational study of synthetic jet-based flow control on a vertical tail/rudder assembly has been carried out on a 1/19th scale model operating at 30 degree rudder deflection, 0 degree side slip, and 20m/s free-stream flow. Under these conditions a very strong span-wise separated flow develops over the rudder surface for a majority of its span. Twelve synthetic jets were distributed across the span of the vertical tail just upstream of the rudder hinge-line to determine their ability to reduce flow separation and thereby increase the side force production; to extend the rudder effectiveness. Experiments were completed for the baseline case (i.e. no jets blowing) and for cases where 1, 6, and 12 jets were activated. RANS and DDES computations were completed to match these four experiments. While some experimental results for the same geometry have been previously reported, more detailed results concerning the experiments and their comparison to the DDES computations for the baseline and 1 jet active cases are reported here. Specifically, this effort focuses on the near-jet flow and the phase-averaged vortical structures produced by a single jet interacting with a severely separated, turbulent cross-flow. An award of computer time was provided by the INCITE program and the Theta and Aurora ESP through ALCF which is supported by the DOE under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

  16. Magnetic Actuator Modelling for Rotating Machinery Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mendes, Ricardo Ugliara; de Castro, Hélio Fiori; Cavalca, Kátia Lucchesi; Ferreira, Luiz Otávio Saraiva

    Rotating machines have a wide range of application such as airplanes, factories, laboratories and power plants. Lately, with computer aid design, shafts finite element models including bearings, discs, seals and couplings have been developed, allowing the prediction of the machine behavior. In order to keep confidence during operation, it is necessary to monitor these systems, trying to predict future failures. One of the most applied technique for this purpose is the modal analysis. It consists of applying a perturbation force into the system and then to measure its response. However, there is a difficulty that brings limitations to the excitation of systems with rotating shafts when using impact hammers or shakers, once due to friction, undesired tangential forces and noise can be present in the measurements. Therefore, the study of a non-contact technique of external excitation becomes of high interest. In this sense, the present work deals with the study and development of a finite element model for rotating machines using a magnetic actuator as an external excitation source. This work also brings numerical simulations where the magnetic actuator was used to obtain the frequency response function of the rotating system.

  17. Active control of the jet in coaxial arrangement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Broučková, Z.; Trávníček, Z.; Šafařík, P.

    2013-04-01

    An axisymmetric jet flow, issuing as a fully developed flow from a long straight pipe at Re = 1600 and 5500, was actively controlled by an annular synthetic jet. The Pitot tube, hot-wire anemometry (CTA) and flow visualization were used for an experimental investigation of the flow control. The working fluid was air. The effect of varying Strouhal number (St = (0.18÷1.94)) on a width and entrainment of the main jet flow was studied. It was found that the main jet is the most sensitive to the actuation at St = 0.28÷0.60 and St = 0.18, for Re = 1600 and Re = 5500, respectively.

  18. Properties of Tangential and Cyclic Polygons: An Application of Circulant Matrices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Allen; Lopez-Real, Francis

    2003-01-01

    In this paper, the properties of tangential and cyclic polygons proposed by Lopez-Real are proved rigorously using the theory of circulant matrices. In particular, the concepts of slippable tangential polygons and conformable cyclic polygons are defined. It is shown that an n-sided tangential (or cyclic) polygon P[subscript n] with n even is…

  19. Trajectory of a synthetic jet issuing into a high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berk, Tim; Baidya, Rio; de Silva, Charitha; Marusic, Ivan; Hutchins, Nicholas; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram

    2017-11-01

    Synthetic jets are zero-net-mass-flux actuators that can be used in a range of flow control applications. For several pulsed/synthetic jet in cross-flow applications the variation of the jet trajectory in the mean flow with jet and boundary layer parameters is important. This trajectory will provide an indication of the penetration depth of the pulsed/synthetic jet into a boundary layer. Trajectories of a synthetic jet in a turbulent boundary layer are measured for a range of actuation parameters in both low- and high Reynolds numbers (up to Reτ = 13000). The important parameters influencing the trajectory are determined from these measurements. The Reynolds number of the boundary layer is shown to only have a small effect on the trajectory. In fact, the critical parameters are found to be the Strouhal number of the jet based on jet dimensions as well as the velocity ratio of the jet (defined as a ratio between peak jet velocity and the freestream velocity). An expression for the trajectory of the synthetic (or pulsed) jet is derived from the data, which (in the limit) is consistent with known expressions for the trajectory of a steady jet in a cross-flow. T.B. and B.G. are grateful to the support from the ERC (Grant Agreement No. 277472) and the EPSRC (Grant ref. no. EP/L006383/1).

  20. Simulation of a tangential soft x-ray imaging system.

    PubMed

    Battaglia, D J; Shafer, M W; Unterberg, E A; Bell, R E; Hillis, D L; LeBlanc, B P; Maingi, R; Sabbagh, S; Stratton, B C

    2010-10-01

    Tangentially viewing soft x-ray (SXR) cameras are capable of detecting nonaxisymmetric plasma structures in magnetically confined plasmas. They are particularly useful for studying stationary perturbations or phenomenon that occur on a timescale faster than the plasma rotation period. Tangential SXR camera diagnostics are planned for the DIII-D and NSTX tokamaks to elucidate the static edge magnetic structure during the application of 3D perturbations. To support the design of the proposed diagnostics, a synthetic diagnostic model was developed using the CHIANTI database to estimate the SXR emission. The model is shown to be in good agreement with the measurements from an existing tangential SXR camera diagnostic on NSTX.

  1. Manipulation of Turbulent Boundary Layers Using Synthetic Jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, Zachary; Gomit, Guillaume; Lavoie, Philippe; Ganapathisubramani, Bharath

    2015-11-01

    This work focuses on the application of active flow control, in the form of synthetic jet actuators, of turbulent boundary layers. An array of 2 synthetic jets are oriented in the spanwise direction and located approximately 2.7 meters downstream from the leading edge of a flat plate. Actuation is applied perpendicular to the surface of the flat plate with varying blowing ratios and reduced frequencies (open-loop). Two-component large window particle image velocimetry (PIV) was performed at the University of Southampton, in the streamwise-wall-normal plane. Complementary stereo PIV measurements were performed at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), in the spanwise-wall-normal plane. The freestream Reynolds number is 3x104, based on the boundary layer thickness. The skin friction Reynolds number is 1,200 based on the skin friction velocity. The experiments at Southampton allow for the observation of the control effects as the flow propagates downstream. The experiments at UTIAS allow for the observation of the streamwise vorticity induced from the actuation. Overall the two experiments provide a 3D representation of the flow field with respect to actuation effects. The current work focuses on the comparison of the two experiments, as well as the effects of varying blowing ratios and reduced frequencies on the turbulent boundary layer. Funded Supported by Airbus.

  2. A Sweeping Jet Application on a High Reynolds Number Semispan Supercritical Wing Configuration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Gregory S.; Milholen, William E., II; Chan, David T.; Melton, Latunia; Goodliff, Scott L.; Cagle, C. Mark

    2017-01-01

    The FAST-MAC circulation control model was modified to test an array of unsteady sweeping-jet actuators at realistic flight Reynolds numbers in the National Transonic Facility at the NASA Langley Research Center. Two types of sweeping jet actuators were fabricated using rapid prototype techniques, and directed over a 15% chord simple-hinged flap. The model was configured for low-speed high-lift testing with flap deflections of 30 deg and 60 deg, and a transonic cruise configuration having a 0 deg flap deflection. For the 30 deg flap high-lift configuration, the sweeping jets achieved comparable lift performance in the separation control regime, while reducing the mass flow by 54% as compared to steady blowing. The sweeping jets however were not effective for the 60 deg flap. For the transonic cruise configuration, the sweeping jets reduced the drag by 3.3% at an off-design condition. The drag reduction for the design lift coefficient for the sweeping jets offer is only half the drag reduction shown for the steady blowing case (6.5%), but accomplished this with a 74% reduction in mass flow.

  3. Influence of Segmentation of Ring-Shaped NdFeB Magnets with Parallel Magnetization on Cylindrical Actuators

    PubMed Central

    Eckert, Paulo Roberto; Goltz, Evandro Claiton; Filho, Aly Ferreira Flores

    2014-01-01

    This work analyses the effects of segmentation followed by parallel magnetization of ring-shaped NdFeB permanent magnets used in slotless cylindrical linear actuators. The main purpose of the work is to evaluate the effects of that segmentation on the performance of the actuator and to present a general overview of the influence of parallel magnetization by varying the number of segments and comparing the results with ideal radially magnetized rings. The analysis is first performed by modelling mathematically the radial and circumferential components of magnetization for both radial and parallel magnetizations, followed by an analysis carried out by means of the 3D finite element method. Results obtained from the models are validated by measuring radial and tangential components of magnetic flux distribution in the air gap on a prototype which employs magnet rings with eight segments each with parallel magnetization. The axial force produced by the actuator was also measured and compared with the results obtained from numerical models. Although this analysis focused on a specific topology of cylindrical actuator, the observed effects on the topology could be extended to others in which surface-mounted permanent magnets are employed, including rotating electrical machines. PMID:25051032

  4. Influence of segmentation of ring-shaped NdFeB magnets with parallel magnetization on cylindrical actuators.

    PubMed

    Eckert, Paulo Roberto; Goltz, Evandro Claiton; Flores Filho, Aly Ferreira

    2014-07-21

    This work analyses the effects of segmentation followed by parallel magnetization of ring-shaped NdFeB permanent magnets used in slotless cylindrical linear actuators. The main purpose of the work is to evaluate the effects of that segmentation on the performance of the actuator and to present a general overview of the influence of parallel magnetization by varying the number of segments and comparing the results with ideal radially magnetized rings. The analysis is first performed by modelling mathematically the radial and circumferential components of magnetization for both radial and parallel magnetizations, followed by an analysis carried out by means of the 3D finite element method. Results obtained from the models are validated by measuring radial and tangential components of magnetic flux distribution in the air gap on a prototype which employs magnet rings with eight segments each with parallel magnetization. The axial force produced by the actuator was also measured and compared with the results obtained from numerical models. Although this analysis focused on a specific topology of cylindrical actuator, the observed effects on the topology could be extended to others in which surface-mounted permanent magnets are employed, including rotating electrical machines.

  5. Skin friction drag reduction on a flat plate turbulent boundary layer using synthetic jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belanger, Randy; Boom, Pieter D.; Hanson, Ronald E.; Lavoie, Philippe; Zingg, David W.

    2017-11-01

    In these studies, we investigate the effect of mild synthetic jet actuation on a flat plate turbulent boundary layer with the goal of interacting with the large scales in the log region of the boundary layer and manipulating the overall skin friction. Results will be presented from both large eddy simulations (LES) and wind tunnel experiments. In the experiments, a large parameter space of synthetic jet frequency and amplitude was studied with hot film sensors at select locations behind a pair of synthetic jets to identify the parameters that produce the greatest changes in the skin friction. The LES simulations were performed for a selected set of parameters and provide a more complete evaluation of the interaction between the boundary layer and synthetic jets. Five boundary layer thicknesses downstream, the skin friction between the actuators is generally found to increase, while regions of reduced skin friction persist downstream of the actuators. This pattern is reversed for forcing at low frequency. Overall, the spanwise-averaged skin friction is increased by the forcing, except when forcing at high frequency and low amplitude, for which a net skin friction reduction persists downstream. The physical interpretation of these results will be discussed. The financial support of Airbus is gratefully acknowledged.

  6. Smart actuation of inlet guide vanes for small turbine engine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rusovici, Razvan; Kwok Choon, Stephen T.; Sepri, Paavo; Feys, Joshuo

    2011-04-01

    Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have gained popularity over the past few years to become an indispensable part of aerial missions that include reconnaissance, surveillance, and communication [1]. As a result, advancements in small jet-engine performance are needed to increase the performance (range, payload and efficiency) of the UAV. These jet engines designed especially for UAV's are characterized by thrust force on the order of 100N and due to their size and weight limitations, may lack advanced flow control devices such as IGV [2]. The goal of the current study was to present a conceptual design of an IGV smart-material based actuation mechanism that would be simple, compact and lightweight. The compressor section of an engine increases the pressure and conditions the flow before the air enters the combustion chamber [3]. The airflow entering the compressor is often turbulent due to the high angle of incidence between engine inlet and free-stream velocity, or existing atmospheric turbulence. Actuated IGV are used to help control the relative angle of incidence of the flow that enters the engine compressor, thereby preventing flow separation, compressor stall and thus extending the compressor's operating envelope [4]. Turbine jet- engines which employ variable IGV were developed by Rolls Royce (Trent DR-900) and General Electric (J79).

  7. Enhanced fuel efficiency on tractor-trailers using synthetic jet-based active flow control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amitay, Michael; Menicovich, David; Gallardo, Daniele

    2016-04-01

    The application of piezo-electrically-driven synthetic-jet-based active flow control to reduce drag on tractor-trailers was explored experimentally in wind tunnel testing as well as full-scale road tests. Aerodynamic drag accounts for more than 50% of the usable energy at highway speeds, a problem that applies primarily to trailer trucks. Therefore, a reduction in aerodynamic drag results in large saving of fuel and reduction in CO2 emissions. The active flow control technique that is being used relies on a modular system comprised of distributed, small, highly efficient actuators. These actuators, called synthetic jets, are jets that are synthesized at the edge of an orifice by a periodic motion of a piezoelectric diaphragm(s) mounted on one (or more) walls of a sealed cavity. The synthetic jet is zero net mass flux (ZNMF), but it allows momentum transfer to flow. It is typically driven near diaphragm and/or cavity resonance, and therefore, small electric input [O(10W)] is required. Another advantage of this actuator is that no plumbing is required. The system doesn't require changes to the body of the truck, can be easily reconfigured to various types of vehicles, and consumes small amounts of electrical power from the existing electrical system of the truck. Preliminary wind tunnel results showed up to 18% reduction in fuel consumption, whereas road tests also showed very promising results.

  8. An Atomic Force Microscope with Dual Actuation Capability for Biomolecular Experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sevim, Semih; Shamsudhin, Naveen; Ozer, Sevil; Feng, Luying; Fakhraee, Arielle; Ergeneman, Olgaç; Pané, Salvador; Nelson, Bradley J.; Torun, Hamdi

    2016-06-01

    We report a modular atomic force microscope (AFM) design for biomolecular experiments. The AFM head uses readily available components and incorporates deflection-based optics and a piezotube-based cantilever actuator. Jetted-polymers have been used in the mechanical assembly, which allows rapid manufacturing. In addition, a FeCo-tipped electromagnet provides high-force cantilever actuation with vertical magnetic fields up to 0.55 T. Magnetic field calibration has been performed with a micro-hall sensor, which corresponds well with results from finite element magnetostatics simulations. An integrated force resolution of 1.82 and 2.98 pN, in air and in DI water, respectively was achieved in 1 kHz bandwidth with commercially available cantilevers made of Silicon Nitride. The controller and user interface are implemented on modular hardware to ensure scalability. The AFM can be operated in different modes, such as molecular pulling or force-clamp, by actuating the cantilever with the available actuators. The electromagnetic and piezoelectric actuation capabilities have been demonstrated in unbinding experiments of the biotin-streptavidin complex.

  9. An Atomic Force Microscope with Dual Actuation Capability for Biomolecular Experiments

    PubMed Central

    Sevim, Semih; Shamsudhin, Naveen; Ozer, Sevil; Feng, Luying; Fakhraee, Arielle; Ergeneman, Olgaç; Pané, Salvador; Nelson, Bradley J.; Torun, Hamdi

    2016-01-01

    We report a modular atomic force microscope (AFM) design for biomolecular experiments. The AFM head uses readily available components and incorporates deflection-based optics and a piezotube-based cantilever actuator. Jetted-polymers have been used in the mechanical assembly, which allows rapid manufacturing. In addition, a FeCo-tipped electromagnet provides high-force cantilever actuation with vertical magnetic fields up to 0.55 T. Magnetic field calibration has been performed with a micro-hall sensor, which corresponds well with results from finite element magnetostatics simulations. An integrated force resolution of 1.82 and 2.98 pN, in air and in DI water, respectively was achieved in 1 kHz bandwidth with commercially available cantilevers made of Silicon Nitride. The controller and user interface are implemented on modular hardware to ensure scalability. The AFM can be operated in different modes, such as molecular pulling or force-clamp, by actuating the cantilever with the available actuators. The electromagnetic and piezoelectric actuation capabilities have been demonstrated in unbinding experiments of the biotin-streptavidin complex. PMID:27273214

  10. Characterization and 3-D modeling of Ni60Ti SMA for actuation of a variable geometry jet engine chevron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartl, Darren J.; Lagoudas, Dimitris C.

    2007-04-01

    This work describes the thermomechanical characterization and FEA modeling of commercial jet engine chevrons incorporating active Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) beam components. The reduction of community noise at airports generated during aircraft take-off has become a major research goal. Serrated aerodynamic devices along the trailing edge of a jet engine primary and secondary exhaust nozzle, known as chevrons, have been shown to greatly reduce jet noise by encouraging advantageous mixing of the streams. To achieve the noise reduction, the secondary exhaust nozzle chevrons are typically immersed into the fan flow which results in drag, or thrust losses during cruise. SMA materials have been applied to this problem of jet engine noise. Active chevrons, utilizing SMA components, have been developed and tested to create maximum deflection during takeoff and landing while minimizing deflection into the flow during the remainder of flight, increasing efficiency. Boeing has flight tested one Variable Geometry Chevron (VGC) system which includes active SMA beams encased in a composite structure with a complex 3-D configuration. The SMA beams, when activated, induce the necessary bending forces on the chevron structure to deflect it into the fan flow and reduce noise. The SMA composition chosen for the fabrication of these beams is a Ni60Ti40 (wt%) alloy. In order to calibrate the material parameters of the constitutive SMA model, various thermomechanical experiments are performed on trained (stabilized) standard SMA tensile specimens. Primary among these tests are thermal cycles at various constant stress levels. Material properties for the shape memory alloy components are derived from this tensile experimentation. Using this data, a 3-D FEA implementation of a phenomenological SMA model is calibrated and used to analyze the response of the chevron. The primary focus of this work is the full 3-D modeling of the active chevron system behavior by considering the SMA beams as

  11. Development and Application of Energetic Actuators for Shear and Vortex Dominated Flow Control

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-06

    NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c . THIS PAGE 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code...of the air inside of the SparkJet cavity prior to heating. C is the capacitance across the sustain electrodes, V is the voltage across the sustain...in wind tunnel; a) tunnel test section; b) tunnel ceiling; c ) SparkJet actuator. Figure 2.8: Bottom and rear views of the three-SJA assembly

  12. Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale Ion Jet Signatures with Predicted Reconnection Site Locations at the Magnetopause

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Petrinec, S. M.; Burch, J. L.; Fuselier, S. A.; Gomez, R. G.; Lewis, W.; Trattner, K. J.; Ergun, R.; Mauk, B.; Pollock, C. J.; Schiff, C.; hide

    2016-01-01

    Magnetic reconnection at the Earths magnetopause is the primary process by which solar wind plasma and energy gains access to the magnetosphere. One indication that magnetic reconnection is occurring is the observation of accelerated plasma as a jet tangential to the magnetopause. The direction of ion jets along the magnetopause surface as observed by the Fast Plasma Instrument (FPI) and the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer (HPCA) instrument on board the recently launched Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) set of spacecraft is examined. For those cases where ion jets are clearly discerned, the direction of origin compares well statistically with the predicted location of magnetic reconnection using convected solar wind observations in conjunction with the Maximum Magnetic Shear model.

  13. Boeing's variable geometry chevron: morphing aerospace structures for jet noise reduction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calkins, Frederick T.; Mabe, James H.; Butler, George W.

    2006-03-01

    Boeing is applying cutting edge smart material actuators to the next generation morphing technologies for aircraft. This effort has led to the Variable Geometry Chevrons (VGC), which utilize compact, light weight, and robust shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators. These actuators morph the shape of chevrons on the trailing edge of a jet engine in order to optimize acoustic and performance objectives at multiple flight conditions. We have demonstrated a technical readiness level of 7 by successfully flight testing the VGCs on a Boeing 777-300ER with GE-115B engines. In this paper we describe the VGC design, development and performance during flight test. Autonomous operation of the VGCs, which did not require a control system or aircraft power, was demonstrated. A parametric study was conducted showing the influence of VGC configurations on shockcell generated cabin noise reduction during cruise. The VGC system provided a robust test vehicle to explore chevron configurations for community and shockcell noise reduction. Most importantly, the VGC concept demonstrated an exciting capability to optimize jet nozzle performance at multiple flight conditions.

  14. Flow Structures and Interactions of a Fail-Safe Actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Wasif; Elimelech, Yoseph; Amitay, Michael

    2010-11-01

    Vortex generators are passive devices that are commonly used in many aerodynamic applications. In their basic concept, they enhance mixing, reduce or mitigate flow separation; however, they cause drag penalties at off design conditions. Micro vanes implement the same basic idea of vortex generators but their physical dimensions are much smaller. To achieve the same effect on the baseline flow field, micro vanes are combined with an active flow control device, so their net effect is comparable to that of vortex generators when the active device is energized. As a result of their small size, micro vanes have significantly less drag penalty at off design conditions. This concept of "dual-action" is the reason why such actuation is commonly called hybrid or fail-safe actuation. The present study explores experimentally the flow interaction of a synthetic-jet with a micro vane in a zero pressure gradient flow over a flat plate. Using the stereo particle image velocimetry technique a parametric study was conducted, where the effects of the micro vane shape, height and its angle with respect to the flow were examined, at several blowing ratios and synthetic-jet configurations.

  15. Full-scale flight tests of aircraft morphing structures using SMA actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mabe, James H.; Calkins, Frederick T.; Ruggeri, Robert T.

    2007-04-01

    In August of 2005 The Boeing Company conducted a full-scale flight test utilizing Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators to morph an engine's fan exhaust to correlate exhaust geometry with jet noise reduction. The test was conducted on a 777-300ER with GE-115B engines. The presence of chevrons, serrated aerodynamic surfaces mounted at the trailing edge of the thrust reverser, have been shown to greatly reduce jet noise by encouraging advantageous mixing of the free, and fan streams. The morphing, or Variable Geometry Chevrons (VGC), utilized compact, light weight, and robust SMA actuators to morph the chevron shape to optimize the noise reduction or meet acoustic test objectives. The VGC system was designed for two modes of operation. The entirely autonomous operation utilized changes in the ambient temperature from take-off to cruise to activate the chevron shape change. It required no internal heaters, wiring, control system, or sensing. By design this provided one tip immersion at the warmer take-off temperatures to reduce community noise and another during the cooler cruise state for more efficient engine operation, i.e. reduced specific fuel consumption. For the flight tests a powered mode was added where internal heaters were used to individually control the VGC temperatures. This enabled us to vary the immersions and test a variety of chevron configurations. The flight test demonstrated the value of SMA actuators to solve a real world aerospace problem, validated that the technology could be safely integrated into the airplane's structure and flight system, and represented a large step forward in the realization of SMA actuators for production applications. In this paper the authors describe the development of the actuator system, the steps required to integrate the morphing structure into the thrust reverser, and the analysis and testing that was required to gain approval for flight. Issues related to material strength, thermal environment, vibration

  16. A device for controlled jet injection of large volumes of liquid.

    PubMed

    Mckeage, James W; Ruddy, Bryan P; Nielsen, Poul M F; Taberner, Andrew J

    2016-08-01

    We present a needle-free jet injection device controllably actuated by a voice coil and capable of injecting up to 1.3 mL. This device is used to perform jet injections of ~900 μL into porcine tissue. This is the first time that delivery of such a large volume has been reported using an electronically controllable device. The controllability of this device is demonstrated with a series of ejections where the desired volume is ejected to within 1 % during an injection at a predetermined jet velocity.

  17. Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering Drill

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

    2011-01-01

    prevent it from being subjected to tensile stress that will cause it to fail. The backing is intended to transfer the generated mechanical vibrations towards the horn. In order to cause rotation, the horn is configured asymmetrically with helical segments and, upon impacting the bit, it introduces longitudinal along the axis of the actuator and tangential force causing twisting action that rotates the bit. The longitudinal component of the vibrations of the stack introduces percussion impulses between the bit and the rock to fracture it when the ultimate strain is exceeded under the bit.

  18. Development of PZT Actuated Valveless Micropump.

    PubMed

    Munas, Fathima Rehana; Melroy, Gehan; Abeynayake, Chamitha Bhagya; Chathuranga, Hiniduma Liyanage; Amarasinghe, Ranjith; Kumarage, Pubudu; Dau, Van Thanh; Dao, Dzung Viet

    2018-04-24

    A piezoelectrically actuated valveless micropump has been designed and developed. The principle components of this system are piezoelectrically actuated (PZT) metal diaphragms and a complete fluid flow system. The design of this pump mainly focuses on a cross junction, which is generated by a nozzle jet attached to a pump chamber and the intersection of two inlet channels and an outlet channel respectively. During each PZT diaphragm vibration cycle, the junction connecting the inlet and outlet channels with the nozzle jet permits consistencies in fluidic momentum and resistances in order to facilitate complete fluidic path throughout the system, in the absence of any physical valves. The entire micropump structure is fabricated as a plate-by-plate element of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheets and sandwiched to get required fluidic network as well as the overall device. In order to identify the flow characteristics, and to validate the test results with numerical simulation data, FEM analysis using ANSYS was carried out and an eigenfrequency analysis was performed to the PZT diaphragm using COMSOL Multiphysics. In addition, the control system of the pump was designed and developed to change the applied frequency to the piezoelectric diaphragms. The experimental data revealed that the maximum flow rate is 31.15 mL/min at a frequency of 100 Hz. Our proposed design is not only for a specific application but also useful in a wide range of biomedical applications.

  19. Tangential gunshot wound with MagSafe ammunition.

    PubMed

    Rapkiewicz, Amy V; Tamburri, Robert; Basoa, Mark E; Catanese, Charles A

    2005-09-01

    MagSafe ammunition is a type of unconventional prefragmented ammunition. A fatal tangential gunshot wound involving MagSafe ammunition is presented. The ammunition and wound characteristics are discussed.

  20. Combustion-Powered Actuation for Dynamic Stall Suppression - Simulations and Low-Mach Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matalanis, Claude G.; Min, Byung-Young; Bowles, Patrick O.; Jee, Solkeun; Wake, Brian E.; Crittenden, Tom; Woo, George; Glezer, Ari

    2014-01-01

    An investigation on dynamic-stall suppression capabilities of combustion-powered actuation (COMPACT) applied to a tabbed VR-12 airfoil is presented. In the first section, results from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations carried out at Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.5 are presented. Several geometric parameters are varied including the slot chordwise location and angle. Actuation pulse amplitude, frequency, and timing are also varied. The simulations suggest that cycle-averaged lift increases of approximately 4% and 8% with respect to the baseline airfoil are possible at Mach numbers of 0.4 and 0.3 for deep and near-deep dynamic-stall conditions. In the second section, static-stall results from low-speed wind-tunnel experiments are presented. Low-speed experiments and high-speed CFD suggest that slots oriented tangential to the airfoil surface produce stronger benefits than slots oriented normal to the chordline. Low-speed experiments confirm that chordwise slot locations suitable for Mach 0.3-0.4 stall suppression (based on CFD) will also be effective at lower Mach numbers.

  1. Numerical Simulation of a High-Lift Configuration Embedded with High Momentum Fluidic Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vatsa, Veer N.; Duda, Benjamin; Fares, Ehab; Lin, John C.

    2016-01-01

    Numerical simulations have been performed for a vertical tail configuration with deflected rudder. The suction surface of the main element of this configuration, just upstream of the hinge line, is embedded with an array of 32 fluidic actuators that produce oscillating sweeping jets. Such oscillating jets have been found to be very effective for flow control applications in the past. In the current paper, a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code known as the PowerFLOW R code is used to simulate the entire flow field associated with this configuration, including the flow inside the actuators. A fully compressible version of the PowerFLOW R code valid for high speed flows is used for the present simulations to accurately represent the transonic flow regimes encountered in the flow field due to the actuators operating at higher mass flow (momentum) rates required to mitigate reverse flow regions on a highly-deflected rudder surface. The computed results for the surface pressure and integrated forces compare favorably with measured data. In addition, numerical solutions predict the correct trends in forces with active flow control compared to the no control case. The effect of varying the rudder deflection angle on integrated forces and surface pressures is also presented.

  2. Macroscopic analysis of gas-jet wiping: Numerical simulation and experimental approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lacanette, Delphine; Gosset, Anne; Vincent, Stéphane; Buchlin, Jean-Marie; Arquis, Éric

    2006-04-01

    Coating techniques are frequently used in industrial processes such as paper manufacturing, wire sleeving, and in the iron and steel industry. Depending on the application considered, the thickness of the resulting substrate is controlled by mechanical (scraper), electromagnetic (if the entrained fluid is appropriated), or hydrodynamic (gas-jet wiping) operations. This paper deals with the latter process, referred to as gas-jet wiping, in which a turbulent slot jet is used to wipe the coating film dragged by a moving substrate. This mechanism relies on the gas-jet-liquid film interaction taking place on the moving surface. The aim of this study is to compare the results obtained by a lubrication one-dimensional model, numerical volume of fluid-large eddy simulation (VOF-LES) modeling and an experimental approach. The investigation emphasizes the effect of the controlling wiping parameters, i.e., the pressure gradient and shear stress distributions induced by the jet, on the shape of the liquid film. Those profiles obtained experimentally and numerically for a jet impinging on a dry fixed surface are compared. The effect of the substrate motion and the presence of the dragged liquid film on these actuators are analyzed through numerical simulations. Good agreement is found between the film thickness profile in the wiping zone obtained from the VOF-LES simulations and with the analytical model, provided that a good model for the wiping actuators is used. The effect of the gas-jet nozzle to substrate standoff distance on the final coating thickness is analyzed; the experimental and predicted values are compared for a wide set of conditions. Finally, the occurrence of the splashing phenomenon, which is characterized by the ejection of droplets from the runback film flow at jet impingement, thus limiting the wiping process, is investigated through experiments and numerical simulations.

  3. PROPER MOTIONS OF THE OUTER KNOTS OF THE HH 80/81/80N RADIO-JET

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Masqué, Josep M.; Rodriguez, Luis F.; Carrasco-González, Carlos

    2015-11-20

    The radio-knots of the Herbig–Haro (HH) 80/81/80N jet extend from the HH 80 object to the recently discovered Source 34 and has a total projected jet size of 10.3 pc, constituting the largest collimated radio-jet system known so far. It is powered by the bright infrared source IRAS 18162−2048 associated with a massive young stellar object. We report 6 cm JVLA observations that, compared with previous 6 cm VLA observations carried out in 1989, allow us to derive proper motions of the HH 80, HH 81, and HH 80N radio knots located about 2.5 pc away in projection from themore » powering source. For the first time, we measure proper motions of the optically obscured HH 80N object providing evidence that this knot, along with HH 81 and HH 80 are associated with the same radio-jet. We also confirm the presence of Source 34, located further north of HH 80N, previously proposed to belong to the jet.We derived that the tangential velocity of HH 80N is 260 km s{sup −1} and has a direction in agreement with the expected direction of a ballistic precessing jet. The HH 80 and HH 81 objects have tangential velocities of 350 and 220 km s{sup −1}, respectively, but their directions are somewhat deviated from the expected jet path. The velocities of the HH objects studied in this work are significantly lower than those derived for the radio knots of the jet close to the powering source (600–1400 km s{sup −1}) suggesting that the jet is slowing down due to a strong interaction with the ambient medium. As a result, since HH 80 and HH 81 are located near the edge of the cloud, the inhomogeneous and low density medium may contribute to skew the direction of their determined proper motions. The HH 80 and HH 80N emission at 6 cm is, at least in part, probably synchrotron radiation produced by relativistic electrons in a magnetic field of 1 mG. If these electrons are accelerated in a reverse adiabatic shock, we estimate a jet total density of ≲1000 cm{sup −3}. All of these

  4. Vortex dynamics of very low aspect ratio rectangular orifice synthetic jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Straccia, Joseph; Farnsworth, John; Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory Team

    2017-11-01

    The vast majority of prior synthetic jet research has focused on actuators with either circular orifices or rectangular orifices with high aspect ratios (AR), i.e. AR >=25. The results reported in these studies have also been biased towards bulk and time averaged statistics of the jet, viewing them in a steady sense as a source of momentum addition. Recent work has revealed that the unsteady vortex dynamics in a synthetic jet can be very relevant to how the jet interacts with and influences the base flow. In this study the synthetic jet issued into a quiescent fluid by an actuator with low orifice aspect ratios (i.e. AR =2-18) was studied using Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) with a special focus on the vortex dynamics. The progression of vortex ring axis switching is presented and a distinct difference between the axis switching dynamics of very low AR (AR <=6) and moderate AR (AR =6-24) vortex rings is discussed. The high resolution SPIV vector fields are also used to extract details of the vortex core structure which are compared to theoretical vortex models. Furthermore, the influence of axis switching on the circulation magnitude around the vortex ring is reported in addition to how circulation varies with time as the ring advects. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. (DGE 1144083).

  5. Thrust Measurement of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma Actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ashpis, David E.; Laun, Matthew C.

    2013-11-01

    DBD plasma actuators generate a wall-jet that can be used for active flow control. We used an analytical balance to measure the thrust generated by the actuator, it is a common metric of its performance without external flow. We found that the measured force is afflicted by several problems; it drifts in time, not always repeatable, is unstable, and depends on the manner the voltage is applied. We report results of investigations of these issues. Tests were conducted on an actuator constructed of 1/4 inch thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) dielectric with 100 mm long offset electrodes, with applied voltages up to 48 kV p-p and frequencies from 32 Hz to 2.5 kHz, and pure Sine and Trapezoidal waveforms. The relative humidity was in the range of 51-55%, corresponding to moisture range of 10,500 to13,000 ppm mass. Force readings were up to 500 mg, (approximately 50 mN/m). We found that the measured force is the net of the positive thrust generated by the wall-jet and an ``anti-thrust'' acting in the opposite direction. We propose a correction procedure that yields the plasma-generated thrust. The correction is based on voltage-dependent anti-thrust measured in the low frequency range of 20-40 Hz. We found that adjacent objects in a test setup affect the measured thrust, and verified it by comparing experiments with and without a metal enclosure, grounded and ungrounded. Uncorrected thrust varied by up to approximately +/-100%, and the corrected thrust variations were up to approximately 30%. Supported by NASA's FAP/Aerospace Sciences Project.

  6. Low Dimensional Modeling of Zero-Net Mass-Flux Actuators

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-07-01

    centerline deflection of the diaphragm is measured using a laser displacement sensor (Micro-Epsilon Model ILD2000-10). Both signals are acquired phase...the flowfield emanating from the ZNMF orifice are acquired using Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA), the details of which are listed in Table 1. The...synthetic jet actuator is mounted to a three-axis traverse with sub-micron spatial resolution. The 488 and 514.5 nm lines of an argon-ion laser are

  7. Design, fabrication, and testing of a SMA hybrid composite jet engine chevron

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Turner, Travis L.; Cabell, Randolph H.; Cano, Roberto J.; Fleming, Gary A.

    2006-01-01

    Control of jet noise continues to be an important research topic. Exhaust nozzle chevrons have been shown to reduce jet noise, but parametric effects are not well understood. Additionally, thrust loss due to chevrons at cruise suggests significant benefit from deployable chevrons. The focus of this study is development of an active chevron concept for the primary purpose of parametric studies for jet noise reduction in the laboratory and technology development to leverage for full scale systems. The active chevron concept employed in this work consists of a laminated composite structure with embedded shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, termed a SMA hybrid composite (SMAHC). The actuators are embedded on one side of the middle surface such that thermal excitation generates a moment and deflects the structure. A brief description of the chevron design is given followed by details of the fabrication approach. Results from bench top tests are presented and correlated with numerical predictions from a model for such structures that was recently implemented in MSC.Nastran and ABAQUS. Excellent performance and agreement with predictions is demonstrated. Results from tests in a representative flow environment are also presented. Excellent performance is again achieved for both open- and closed-loop tests, the latter demonstrating control to a specified immersion into the flow. The actuation authority and immersion performance is shown to be relatively insensitive to nozzle pressure ratio (NPR). Very repeatable immersion control with modest power requirements is demonstrated.

  8. Investigation of the Non-Isothermal Convective Mixing of Turbulent, Round, Wall Jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kristo, Paul; Kimber, Mark

    2017-11-01

    The wall jet has become a paradigm for geometrically bounded flows due to the intrinsically difficult nature of the advection promoted by the geometry of the jet, coupled with prompt diffusion from the adjacent wall. Previous experimental investigations have sought to characterize the hydraulic and thermal behavior of such flows, however the physics promoted by parallel coplanar round jets has received inadequate experimental attention. The current effort is comprised of three parallel, coplanar, equidistant round jets issuing vertically downward into a pseudo-unconfined test section. The outer diameters of the jets are placed tangentially along a smooth flat plate. Non-intrusive optical techniques are incorporated for both hydraulic and thermal observations. Preliminary tests provide accurate inlet boundary conditions for each case. Reference metrics are captured during testing to account for ambient effects and readings inside of the test section. By varying the velocity and temperature inlet parameters, insights are drawn regarding the effects on the merging point (MP) and combined point (CP) of both the flow and thermal fields. Velocity fields in the plane normal to the wall yield additional insight into the deceleration caused by dissipation from both the plate and surrounding stagnant fluid.

  9. A novel piezostack-driven jetting dispenser with corner-filleted flexure hinge and high-frequency performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bu, Zhenxiang; Lin, Siying; Huang, Xiang; Li, Anlin; Wu, Dezhi; Zhao, Yang; Luo, Zhiwei; Wang, Lingyun

    2018-07-01

    This paper presents a new jetting dispenser which is applicable to high-frequency microelectronic packaging. In order to achieve high frequency glue jetting and improve the stability of jetting dispensers, we redesign a novel displacement amplifying mechanism, and a new on–off valve jetting dispenser driven by piezoelectric actuators is developed. Firstly, the core part of this jetting dispenser—the displacement amplifying mechanism with a corner-filleted flexure hinge—is proposed and a comparison with the previous structure is carried out; then the characteristic dimensional parameters of the amplifying mechanism are determined by theoretical calculation and finite element analysis. Secondly, a prototype of the dispenser with the displacement amplifying mechanism is fabricated based on the determined parameters. We use a laser displacement sensor to test the displacement of the needle, and a maximum amplifying displacement output of 367 µm is obtained under an applied 200 V to the piezoelectric actuator, which is consistent with the simulation result and meets the requirement of high displacement output. Thirdly, we build an integrated testing system. Mixed glycerol/ethanol is chosen as the experimental dispensing glue, and the experiment and analysis of a droplet diameter are conducted. A higher jetting frequency of 400 Hz and a smaller droplet diameter of 525 µm are achieved with the glycerol/ethanol mixture, and the characteristics of consistency and temperature influencing the droplet diameter are verified by experiments.

  10. Variable Frequency Diverter Actuation for Flow Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Culley, Dennis E.

    2006-01-01

    The design and development of an actively controlled fluidic actuator for flow control applications is explored. The basic device, with one input and two output channels, takes advantage of the Coanda effect to force a fluid jet to adhere to one of two axi-symmetric surfaces. The resultant flow is bi-stable, producing a constant flow from one output channel, until a disturbance force applied at the control point causes the flow to switch to the alternate output channel. By properly applying active control the output flows can be manipulated to provide a high degree of modulation over a wide and variable range of frequency and duty cycle. In this study the momentary operative force is applied by small, high speed isolation valves of which several different types are examined. The active fluidic diverter actuator is shown to work in several configurations including that in which the operator valves are referenced to atmosphere as well as to a source common with the power stream.

  11. Accuracy of State-of-the-Art Actuator-Line Modeling for Wind Turbine Wakes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jha, Pankaj; Churchfield, Matthew; Moriarty, Patrick

    The current actuator line method (ALM) within an OpenFOAM computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver was used to perform simulations of the NREL Phase VI rotor under rotating and parked conditions, two fixed-wing designs both with an elliptic spanwise loading, and the NREL 5-MW turbine. The objective of this work is to assess and improve the accuracy of the state-of-the-art ALM in predicting rotor blade loads, particularly by focusing on the method used to project the actuator forces onto the flow field as body forces. Results obtained for sectional normal and tangential force coefficients were compared to available experimental data andmore » to the in-house performance code XTurb-PSU. It was observed that the ALM results agree well with measured data and results obtained from XTurb-PSU except in the root and tip regions if a three-dimensional Gaussian of width, ε, constant along the blade span is used to project the actuator force onto the flow field. A new method is proposed where the Gaussian width, ε, varies along the blade span following an elliptic distribution. A general criterion is derived that applies to any planform shape. It is found that the new criterion for ε leads to improved prediction of blade tip loads for a variety of blade planforms and rotor conditions considered.« less

  12. Development of a Pulsed Combustion Actuator For High-Speed Flow Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cutler, Andrew D.; Beck, B. Terry; Wilkes, Jennifer A.; Drummond, J. Philip; Alderfer, David W.; Danehy, Paul M.

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes the flow within a prototype actuator, energized by pulsed combustion or detonations, that provides a pulsed jet suitable for flow control in high-speed applications. A high-speed valve, capable of delivering a pulsed stream of reactants a mixture of H2 and air at rates of up to 1500 pulses per second, has been constructed. The reactants burn in a resonant chamber, and the products exit the device as a pulsed jet. High frequency pressure transducers have been used to monitor the pressure fluctuations in the device at various reactant injection frequencies, including both resonant and off-resonant conditions. The combustion chamber has been constructed with windows, and the flow inside it has been visualized using Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). The pulsed jet at the exit of the device has been observed using schlieren.

  13. Modifying the inlet characteristics of a Turbulent Coanda Wall Jet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, Anshuman; Gregory, James W.

    2017-11-01

    The Coanda effect has been ingeniously used over the past century for augmentation of lift. More recently, NOTAR helicopters have employed the use of the Coanda effect for producing the stabilizing side force with quieter and safer configurations. A manifestation of the Coanda effect in its simplest form is a wall jet issuing tangentially to a cylinder that tends to stay attached to the cylinder over turning angles as large as 180 degrees. An experimental study on such a configuration has been performed in this work to understand the effect of inlet characteristics on the evolution of the wall jet. In previous studies, it has been found that the radial momentum influx is maximum near the inlet and it provides the necessary centrifugal force for the jet to stay attached. So it can be hypothesized that a protrusion of the upper wall of the nozzle that issues the jet would lead to an earlier separation and decreased efficiency. On the other hand, the predisposition of the jet to stay attached to the flat surface of the protrusion could create a separation bubble between the jet and the curved wall and lead to increased suction. These competing phenomena have been explored using Particle Image Velocimetry performed in the streamwise direction at mid-span location of a 3 ft long cylinder. The effect of varying the length of the protrusion for different combinations of initial jet width and flow velocity has been studied to understand how changing the inlet affects the efficiency of the wall jet.

  14. Flow and Acoustic Features of a Mach 0.9 Free Jet Using High-Frequency Excitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Upadhyay, Puja; Alvi, Farrukh

    2016-11-01

    This study focuses on active control of a Mach 0.9 (ReD = 6 ×105) free jet using high-frequency excitation for noise reduction. Eight resonance-enhanced microjet actuators with nominal frequencies of 25 kHz (StD 2 . 2) are used to excite the shear layer at frequencies that are approximately an order of magnitude higher than the jet preferred frequency. The influence of control on mean and turbulent characteristics of the jet is studied using Particle Image Velocimetry. Additionally, far-field acoustic measurements are acquired to estimate the effect of pulsed injection on noise characteristics of the jet. Flow field measurements revealed that strong streamwise vortex pairs, formed as a result of control, result in a significantly thicker initial shear layer. This excited shear layer is also prominently undulated, resulting in a modified initial velocity profile. Also, the distribution of turbulent kinetic energy revealed that forcing results in increased turbulence levels for near-injection regions, followed by a global reduction for all downstream locations. Far-field acoustic measurements showed noise reductions at low to moderate frequencies. Additionally, an increase in high-frequency noise, mostly dominated by the actuators' resonant noise, was observed. AFOSR and ARO.

  15. Integrated sensing and actuation of dielectric elastomer actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Zhihang; Chen, Zheng

    2017-04-01

    Dielectric elastomer (DE) is a type of soft actuating material, the shape of which can be changed under electrical voltage stimuli. DE materials have great potential in applications involving energy harvesters, micro-manipulators, and adaptive optics. In this paper, a stripe DE actuator with integrated sensing and actuation is designed and fabricated, and characterized through several experiments. Considering the actuator's capacitor-like structure and its deform mechanism, detecting the actuator's displacement through the actuator's circuit feature is a potential approach. A self-sensing scheme that adds a high frequency probing signal into actuation signal is developed. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm is used to extract the magnitude change of the probing signal, and a non-linear fitting method and artificial neural network (ANN) approach are utilized to reflect the relationship between the probing signal and the actuator's displacement. Experimental results showed this structure has capability of performing self-sensing and actuation, simultaneously. With an enhanced ANN, the self-sensing scheme can achieve 2.5% accuracy.

  16. In-flight tracking of helicopter rotor blades with tabs using shape memory alloy actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Epps, Jeanette Jo

    The objective of this research is to develop a methodology to track helicopter rotor blades in-flight with tabs using shape memory alloy actuators. Tracking is required to reduce vibratory loads that are generated due to dissimilarity of blades. The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved a study on the thermo-mechanical behavior of shape memory alloys and the development of an analytical model to describe the behavior of the tab actuator (SMA-SMA actuator). The second phase of the research involved applying the knowledge of the SMA behavior to develop, construct and test a tab actuator to deflect a trailing-edge tab. In the first phase, four constitutive models for SMA were investigated and validated with test data. The models investigated were the Tanaka, Liang and Rogers, Brinson, and Boyd and Lagoudas models. These models were used to predict the quasi-static stress-strain-temperature behavior. All models showed acceptable correlation with test data. Then a constrained recovery model was developed for the case where the SMA wire is plastically deformed, clamped at both ends, and then heat activated. The Brinson model over-predicted the recovery stress-temperature behavior. The refined model developed in this dissertation showed acceptable correlation with test data. In the second phase of the research, a NACA 0012 blade section with a tab actuator embedded was constructed. The actuator was tested on bench-top as well as in an open-jet wind tunnel to determine the actuator performance under different flight conditions. This task also included building and testing a locking mechanism and a position feedback controller. It was shown that a 2-wire actuator, with all wires plastically elongated to 4.21% initially, is able to deflect the tab of a blade section sufficiently at a forward velocity of 120 ft/sec for angles of attack up to 15°. The tab deflected up 9.35° and deflected down 31°. A 5-wire actuator with all wires plastically

  17. [Actuator placement for active sound and vibration control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    Two refereed journal publications and ten talks given at conferences, seminars, and colloquia resulted from research supported by NASA. They are itemized in this report. The two publications were entitled "Reactive Tabu and Search Sensor Selection in Active Structural Acoustic Control Problems" and "Quelling Cabin Noise in Turboprop Aircraft via Active Control." The conference presentations covered various aspects of actuator placement, including location problems, for active sound and vibration control of cylinders, of commuter jets, of propeller driven or turboprop aircraft, and for quelling aircraft cabin or interior noise.

  18. Effects of magnetic drift tangential to magnetic surfaces on neoclassical transport in non-axisymmetric plasmas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Matsuoka, Seikichi, E-mail: matsuoka@rist.or.jp; Satake, Shinsuke; Kanno, Ryutaro

    2015-07-15

    In evaluating neoclassical transport by radially local simulations, the magnetic drift tangential to a flux surface is usually ignored in order to keep the phase-space volume conservation. In this paper, effect of the tangential magnetic drift on the local neoclassical transport is investigated. To retain the effect of the tangential magnetic drift in the local treatment of neoclassical transport, a new local formulation for the drift kinetic simulation is developed. The compressibility of the phase-space volume caused by the tangential magnetic drift is regarded as a source term for the drift kinetic equation, which is solved by using a two-weightmore » δf Monte Carlo method for non-Hamiltonian system [G. Hu and J. A. Krommes, Phys. Plasmas 1, 863 (1994)]. It is demonstrated that the effect of the drift is negligible for the neoclassical transport in tokamaks. In non-axisymmetric systems, however, the tangential magnetic drift substantially changes the dependence of the neoclassical transport on the radial electric field E{sub r}. The peaked behavior of the neoclassical radial fluxes around E{sub r }={sub  }0 observed in conventional local neoclassical transport simulations is removed by taking the tangential magnetic drift into account.« less

  19. Assessment of Closed-Loop Control Using Multi-Mode Sensor Fusion For a High Reynolds Number Transonic Jet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Low, Kerwin; Elhadidi, Basman; Glauser, Mark

    2009-11-01

    Understanding the different noise production mechanisms caused by the free shear flows in a turbulent jet flow provides insight to improve ``intelligent'' feedback mechanisms to control the noise. Towards this effort, a control scheme is based on feedback of azimuthal pressure measurements in the near field of the jet at two streamwise locations. Previous studies suggested that noise reduction can be achieved by azimuthal actuators perturbing the shear layer at the jet lip. The closed-loop actuation will be based on a low-dimensional Fourier representation of the hydrodynamic pressure measurements. Preliminary results show that control authority and reduction in the overall sound pressure level was possible. These results provide motivation to move forward with the overall vision of developing innovative multi-mode sensing methods to improve state estimation and derive dynamical systems. It is envisioned that estimating velocity-field and dynamic pressure information from various locations both local and in the far-field regions, sensor fusion techniques can be utilized to ascertain greater overall control authority.

  20. Dynamics of fingertip contact during the onset of tangential slip

    PubMed Central

    Delhaye, Benoit; Lefèvre, Philippe; Thonnard, Jean-Louis

    2014-01-01

    Through highly precise perceptual and sensorimotor activities, the human tactile system continuously acquires information about the environment. Mechanical interactions between the skin at the point of contact and a touched surface serve as the source of this tactile information. Using a dedicated custom robotic platform, we imaged skin deformation at the contact area between the finger and a flat surface during the onset of tangential sliding movements in four different directions (proximal, distal, radial and ulnar) and with varying normal force and tangential speeds. This simple tactile event evidenced complex mechanics. We observed a reduction of the contact area while increasing the tangential force and proposed to explain this phenomenon by nonlinear stiffening of the skin. The deformation's shape and amplitude were highly dependent on stimulation direction. We conclude that the complex, but highly patterned and reproducible, deformations measured in this study are a potential source of information for the central nervous system and that further mechanical measurement are needed to better understand tactile perceptual and motor performances. PMID:25253033

  1. Parametric Study of Synthetic-Jet-Based Flow Control on a Vertical Tail Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monastero, Marianne; Lindstrom, Annika; Beyar, Michael; Amitay, Michael

    2015-11-01

    Separation control over the rudder of the vertical tail of a commercial airplane using synthetic-jet-based flow control can lead to a reduction in tail size, with an associated decrease in drag and increase in fuel savings. A parametric, experimental study was undertaken using an array of finite span synthetic jets to investigate the sensitivity of the enhanced vertical tail side force to jet parameters, such as jet spanwise spacing and jet momentum coefficient. A generic wind tunnel model was designed and fabricated to fundamentally study the effects of the jet parameters at varying rudder deflection and model sideslip angles. Wind tunnel results obtained from pressure measurements and tuft flow visualization in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Subsonic Wind Tunnel show a decrease in separation severity and increase in model performance in comparison to the baseline, non-actuated case. The sensitivity to various parameters will be presented.

  2. Aerodynamic drag control by pulsed jets on simplified car geometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilliéron, Patrick; Kourta, Azeddine

    2013-02-01

    Aerodynamic drag control by pulsed jets is tested in a wind tunnel around a simplified car geometry named Ahmed body with a rear slant angle of 35°. Pulsed jet actuators are located 5 × 10-3 m from the top of the rear window. These actuators are produced by a pressure difference ranging from 1.5 to 6.5 × 105 Pa. Their excitation frequency can vary between 10 and 550 Hz. The analysis of the control effects is based on wall visualizations, aerodynamic drag coefficient measurements, and the velocity fields obtained by 2D PIV measurements. The maximum drag reduction is 20 % and is obtained for the excitation frequency F j = 500 Hz and for the pressure difference ∆ P = 1.5 × 105 Pa. This result is linked with a substantial reduction in the transverse development of the longitudinal vortex structures coming from the left and right lateral sides of the rear window, with a displacement of the vortex centers downstream and with a decrease in the transverse rotational absolute values of these structures.

  3. Note: A simple vibrating orifice monodisperse droplet generator using a hard drive actuator arm

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kosch, Sebastian, E-mail: skosch@mie.utoronto.ca, E-mail: ashgriz@mie.utoronto.ca; Ashgriz, Nasser, E-mail: skosch@mie.utoronto.ca, E-mail: ashgriz@mie.utoronto.ca

    2015-04-15

    We propose that the rotary voice coil actuators found in magnetic hard drives are fit to supercede loudspeakers as expedient vibration sources in the laboratory setting. A specific use case is the excitation of a liquid jet to induce controlled breakup into monodisperse droplets. Like loudspeakers, which are typically used for prototyping such devices, hard drive actuators are cheap and ubiquitous, but they are less unwieldy and supply greater amplitudes without producing noise. Frequencies between 0 and 17 kHz, and likely beyond, can be reproduced reliably. No machining tools or amplifying electronics are needed for the construction and operation ofmore » the presented droplet generator.« less

  4. Note: A simple vibrating orifice monodisperse droplet generator using a hard drive actuator arm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosch, Sebastian; Ashgriz, Nasser

    2015-04-01

    We propose that the rotary voice coil actuators found in magnetic hard drives are fit to supercede loudspeakers as expedient vibration sources in the laboratory setting. A specific use case is the excitation of a liquid jet to induce controlled breakup into monodisperse droplets. Like loudspeakers, which are typically used for prototyping such devices, hard drive actuators are cheap and ubiquitous, but they are less unwieldy and supply greater amplitudes without producing noise. Frequencies between 0 and 17 kHz, and likely beyond, can be reproduced reliably. No machining tools or amplifying electronics are needed for the construction and operation of the presented droplet generator.

  5. The effect of plasma actuator on the depreciation of the aerodynamic drag on box model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harinaldi, Budiarso, Julian, James; Rabbani M., N.

    2016-06-01

    Recent active control research advances have provided many benefits some of which in the field of transportation by land, sea as well as by air. Flow engineering by using active control has proven advantages in energy saving significantly. One of the active control equipment that is being developed, especially in the 21st century, is a plasma actuator, with the ability to modify the flow of fluid by the approach of ion particles makes these actuators a very powerful and promising tool. This actuator can be said to be better to the previously active control such as suction, blowing and synthetic jets because it is easier to control, more flexible because it has no moving parts, easy to be manufactured and installed, and consumes a small amount of energy with maximum capability. Plasma actuator itself is the composition of a material composed of copper and a dielectric sheet, where the copper sheets act as an electricity conductor and the dielectric sheet as electricity insulator. Products from the plasma actuators are ion wind which is the result of the suction of free air around the actuator to the plasma zone. This study investigates the ability of plasma actuators in lowering aerodynamic drag which is commonly formed in the models of vehicles by varying the shape of geometry models and the flow speed.

  6. High Temperature Supersonic Jet Noise - Fundamental Studies and Control using Advanced Actuation Methods

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-24

    the manifestations of the initial shear layer instabilities that originate at the nozzle exit. Crow and Champagne 1 and Moore 2 were among the first...structures ( or instability waves/wave packets) , first clearly observed by Crow and Champagne 1 and Moore 2 in axisymmetric jets, are generally...grant, is continuing under an NSF grant. Bibliography 1. Crow, S. and Champagne , F. H., “Orderly structure in jet turbulence,” Journal of Fluid

  7. Internal Fluid Dynamics and Frequency Scaling of Sweeping Jet Fluidic Oscillators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, Jung Hee; Salazar, Erik; Mittal, Rajat

    2017-11-01

    Sweeping jet fluidic oscillators (SJFOs) are devices that produce a spatially oscillating jet solely based on intrinsic flow instability mechanisms without any moving parts. Recently, SJFOs have emerged as effective actuators for flow control, but the internal fluid dynamics of the device that drives the oscillatory flow mechanism is not yet fully understood. In the current study, the internal fluid dynamics of the fluidic oscillator with feedback channels has been investigated by employing incompressible flow simulations. The study is focused on the oscillation mechanisms and scaling laws that underpin the jet oscillation. Based on the simulation results, simple phenomenological models that connect the jet deflection to the feedback flow are developed. Several geometric modifications are considered in order to explore the characteristic length scales and phase relationships associated with the jet oscillation and to assess the proposed phenomenological model. A scaling law for the jet oscillation frequency is proposed based on the detailed analysis. This research is supported by AFOSR Grant FA9550-14-1-0289 monitored by Dr. Douglas Smith.

  8. Detection of near-wall vortices and their manipulation by use of dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Connelly, Ryan

    A sizable amount of the drag on a typical jet airplane is due to skin friction. Decreasing this skin friction drag by even just a small percentage could significantly increase the efficiency of the plane. The idea of stationary vortices has previously been proposed as a method of skin friction reduction. Vortices could potentially be held stationary by flow control devices such as plasma actuators. This thesis lays the groundwork of a study to determine the feasibility of this idea in two ways. First, the effects of plasma actuators on vortices are studied. Second, wind tunnel tests were performed to develop a method of locating the center of vortices downstream of vortex generators. An accurate method of vortex detection will be vital in further experimental studies of plasma actuator effects.

  9. Fast-Response-Time Shape-Memory-Effect Foam Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jardine, Peter

    2010-01-01

    the need for welding, adhesives, or mechanical crimping. Inexpensive net-shape processing was used, which reduces the cost of the actuator by over a factor of 10 over nonporous TiNi made by hot drawing of tube or electrical discharge machining. By forming the alloy as an open-celled foam, the surface area for heat transfer is dramatically increased, allowing for much faster response times. The technology also allows for netshape fabrication of the actuator, which allows for structural connections to be integrated into the actuator material, making these actuators significantly less expensive. Commercial applications include actuators for concepts such as the variable area chevron and nozzle in jet aircraft. Lightweight tube or rod components can be supplied to interested parties.

  10. Design and development of a large diameter high pressure fast acting propulsion valve and valve actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Srinivasan, K. V.

    1986-01-01

    The design and development of a large diameter high pressure quick acting propulsion valve and valve actuator is described. The valve is the heart of a major test facility dedicated to conducting full scale performance tests of aircraft landing systems. The valve opens in less than 300 milliseconds releasing a 46-centimeter- (18-in.-) diameter water jet and closes in 300 milliseconds. The four main components of the valve, i.e., valve body, safety shutter, high speed shutter, and pneumatic-hydraulic actuator, are discussed. This valve is unique and may have other aerospace and industrial applications.

  11. Design and Development of a Large Diameter, High Pressure, Fast Acting Propulsion Valve and Valve Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Srinivasan, K. V.

    1986-01-01

    This paper describes the design and development of a large diameter high pressure quick acting propulsion valve and valve actuator. The valve is the heart of a major test facility dedicated to conducting full scale performance tests of aircraft landing gear systems. The valve opens in less than 300 milliseconds releasing a 46 cm (18 in) diameter water jet and closes in 300 milliseconds. The four main components of the valve, i.e., valve body, safety shutter, high speed shutter, and pneumatic-hydraulic actuator, are discussed. This valve is unique and may have other aerospace and industrial applications.

  12. Ascl1 promotes tangential migration and confines migratory routes by induction of Ephb2 in the telencephalon

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yuan-Hsuan; Tsai, Jin-Wu; Chen, Jia-Long; Yang, Wan-Shan; Chang, Pei-Ching; Cheng, Pei-Lin; Turner, David L.; Yanagawa, Yuchio; Wang, Tsu-Wei; Yu, Jenn-Yah

    2017-01-01

    During development, cortical interneurons generated from the ventral telencephalon migrate tangentially into the dorsal telencephalon. Although Achaete-scute family bHLH transcription factor 1 (Ascl1) plays important roles in the developing telencephalon, whether Ascl1 regulates tangential migration remains unclear. Here, we found that Ascl1 promoted tangential migration along the ventricular zone/subventricular zone (VZ/SVZ) and intermediate zone (IZ) of the dorsal telencephalon. Distal-less homeobox 2 (Dlx2) acted downstream of Ascl1 in promoting tangential migration along the VZ/SVZ but not IZ. We further identified Eph receptor B2 (Ephb2) as a direct target of Ascl1. Knockdown of EphB2 disrupted the separation of the VZ/SVZ and IZ migratory routes. Ephrin-A5, a ligand of EphB2, was sufficient to repel both Ascl1-expressing cells in vitro and tangentially migrating cortical interneurons in vivo. Together, our results demonstrate that Ascl1 induces expression of Dlx2 and Ephb2 to maintain distinct tangential migratory routes in the dorsal telencephalon. PMID:28276447

  13. Experimental Investigation of Actuators for Flow Control in Inlet Ducts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vaccaro, John; Elimelech, Yossef; Amitay, Michael

    2010-11-01

    Attractive to aircraft designers are compact inlets, which implement curved flow paths to the compressor face. These curved flow paths could be employed for multiple reasons. One of which is to connect the air intake to the engine embedded in the aircraft body. A compromise must be made between the compactness of the inlet and its aerodynamic performance. The aerodynamic purpose of inlets is to decelerate the oncoming flow before reaching the engine while minimizing total pressure loss, unsteadiness and distortion. Low length-to-diameter ratio inlets have a high degree of curvature, which inevitably causes flow separation and secondary flows. Currently, the length of the propulsion system is constraining the overall size of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), thus, smaller more efficient aircrafts could be realized if the propulsion system could be shortened. Therefore, active flow control is studied in a compact (L/D=1.5) inlet to improve performance metrics. Actuation from a spanwise varying coanda type ejector actuator and a hybrid coanda type ejector / vortex generator jet actuator is investigated. Special attention will be given to the pressure recovery at the AIP along with unsteady pressure signatures along the inlet surface and at the AIP.

  14. Shape memory alloy actuation for a variable area fan nozzle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rey, Nancy; Tillman, Gregory; Miller, Robin M.; Wynosky, Thomas; Larkin, Michael J.; Flamm, Jeffrey D.; Bangert, Linda S.

    2001-06-01

    The ability to control fan nozzle exit area is an enabling technology for next generation high-bypass-ratio turbofan engines. Performance benefits for such designs are estimated at up to 9% in thrust specific fuel consumption (TSFC) relative to current fixed-geometry engines. Conventionally actuated variable area fan nozzle (VAN) concepts tend to be heavy and complicated, with significant aircraft integration, reliability and packaging issues. The goal of this effort was to eliminate these undesirable features and formulate a design that meets or exceeds leakage, durability, reliability, maintenance and manufacturing cost goals. A Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) bundled cable actuator acting to move an array of flaps around the fan nozzle annulus is a concept that meets these requirements. The SMA bundled cable actuator developed by the United Technologies Corporation (Patents Pending) provides significant work output (greater than 2200 in-lb per flap, through the range of motion) in a compact package and minimizes system complexity. Results of a detailed design study indicate substantial engine performance, weight, and range benefits. The SMA- based actuation system is roughly two times lighter than a conventional mechanical system, with significant aircraft direct operating cost savings (2-3%) and range improvements (5-6%) relative to a fixed-geometry nozzle geared turbofan. A full-scale sector model of this VAN system was built and then tested at the Jet Exit Test Facility at NASA Langley to demonstrate the system's ability to achieve 20% area variation of the nozzle under full scale aerodynamic loads. The actuator exceeded requirements, achieving repeated actuation against full-scale loads representative of typical cruise as well as greater than worst-case (ultimate) aerodynamic conditions. Based on these encouraging results, work is continuing with the goal of a flight test on a C-17 transport aircraft.

  15. Superconducting linear actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Bruce; Hockney, Richard

    1993-01-01

    Special actuators are needed to control the orientation of large structures in space-based precision pointing systems. Electromagnetic actuators that presently exist are too large in size and their bandwidth is too low. Hydraulic fluid actuation also presents problems for many space-based applications. Hydraulic oil can escape in space and contaminate the environment around the spacecraft. A research study was performed that selected an electrically-powered linear actuator that can be used to control the orientation of a large pointed structure. This research surveyed available products, analyzed the capabilities of conventional linear actuators, and designed a first-cut candidate superconducting linear actuator. The study first examined theoretical capabilities of electrical actuators and determined their problems with respect to the application and then determined if any presently available actuators or any modifications to available actuator designs would meet the required performance. The best actuator was then selected based on available design, modified design, or new design for this application. The last task was to proceed with a conceptual design. No commercially-available linear actuator or modification capable of meeting the specifications was found. A conventional moving-coil dc linear actuator would meet the specification, but the back-iron for this actuator would weigh approximately 12,000 lbs. A superconducting field coil, however, eliminates the need for back iron, resulting in an actuator weight of approximately 1000 lbs.

  16. Design of tangential viewing phase contrast imaging for turbulence measurements in JT-60SA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tanaka, K., E-mail: ktanaka@nifs.ac.jp; Department of Advanced Energy Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580; Coda, S.

    2016-11-15

    A tangential viewing phase contrast imaging system is being designed for the JT-60SA tokamak to investigate microturbulence. In order to obtain localized information on the turbulence, a spatial-filtering technique is applied, based on magnetic shearing. The tangential viewing geometry enhances the radial localization. The probing laser beam is injected tangentially and traverses the entire plasma region including both low and high field sides. The spatial resolution for an Internal Transport Barrier discharge is estimated at 30%–70% of the minor radius at k = 5 cm{sup −1}, which is the typical expected wave number of ion scale turbulence such as ionmore » temperature gradient/trapped electron mode.« less

  17. Normal and Tangential Momentum Accommodation for Earth Satellite Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knechtel, Earl D.; Pitts, William C.

    1973-01-01

    Momentum accommodation was determined experimentally for gas-surface interactions simulating in a practical way those of near-earth satellites. Throughout the ranges of gas energies and incidence angles of interest for earth-conditions, two components of force were measured by means of a vacuum microbalance to determine the normal and tangential momentum-accommodation coefficients for nitrogen ions on technical-quality aluminum surfaces. For these experimental conditions, the electrodynamics of ion neutralization near the surface indicate that results for nitrogen ions should differ relatively little from those for nitrogen molecules, which comprise the largest component of momentum flux for near-earth satellites. The experimental results indicated that both normal and tangential momentum-accommodation coefficients varied widely with energy, tending to be relatively well accommodated at the higher energies, but becoming progressively less accommodated as the energy was reduced to and below that for earth-satellite speeds. Both coefficients also varied greatly with incidence angle, the normal momentum becoming less accommodated as the incidence angle became more glancing, whereas the tangential momentum generally became more fully accommodated. For each momentum coefficient, an empirical correlation function was obtained which closely approximated the experimental results over the ranges of energy and incidence angle. Most of the observed variations of momentum accommodation with energy and incidence angle were qualitatively indicated by a calculation using a three-dimensional model that simulated the target surface by a one-dimensional attractive potential and hard sphere reflectors.

  18. Tangential System of Thomson Scattering for Tokamak T-15

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asadulin, G. M.; Bel'bas, I. S.; Gorshkov, A. V.

    2017-12-01

    Two systems of Thomson scattering diagnostics, with vertical and tangential probing, are used in the D-shaped plasma cross section in tokamak T-15. The tangential system allows measuring plasma temperature and density profiles along the major radius of the tokamak. This paper presents the tangential system project. The system is based on a Nd:YAG laser with wavelength of 1064 nm, pulse energy of 3 J, pulse duration of 10 ns, and repetition rate of 100 Hz. The chosen geometry allows collecting light from ten uniformly spaced points. Optimization of the registration system has been accomplished. The collected light will be transmitted through an optical fiber bundle with diameter of 3 mm and quartz fibers (numerical aperture is 0.22). Six-channel polychromators based on high-contrast interference filters have been chosen as spectral equipment. The radiation will be registered by avalanche photodiodes. The technique of electron temperature and density measurement is described, and estimation of its accuracy is carried out. The proposed system allows measuring the electron temperature with accuracy not worse than 10% within the range of 50 eV to 10 keV on the pinch edge over the internal contour, from 20 eV to 9 keV in the plasma central region, and from 2 eV to 400 eV on the pinch edge over the outer contour. The estimation is made for electron density of not less than 2.6 × 1013 cm-3.

  19. Note: A novel rotary actuator driven by only one piezoelectric actuator.

    PubMed

    Huang, Hu; Fu, Lu; Zhao, Hongwei; Shi, Chengli; Ren, Luquan; Li, Jianping; Qu, Han

    2013-09-01

    This paper presents a novel piezo-driven rotary actuator based on the parasitic motion principle. Output performances of the rotary actuator were tested and discussed. Experiment results indicate that using only one piezoelectric actuator and simple sawtooth wave control, the rotary actuator reaches the rotation velocity of about 20,097 μrad/s when the driving voltage is 100 V and the driving frequency is 90 Hz. The actuator can rotate stably with the minimum resolution of 0.7 μrad. This paper verifies feasibility of the parasitic motion principle for applications of rotary actuators, providing new design ideas for precision piezoelectric rotary actuators.

  20. Stabilizing effect of elasticity on the inertial instability of submerged viscoelastic liquid jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keshavarz, Bavand; McKinley, Gareth

    2017-11-01

    The stability of submerged Newtonian and viscoelastic liquid jets is studied experimentally using flow visualization. Precise control of the amplitude and frequency of the imposed linear perturbations is achieved through a piezoelectric actuator attached to the nozzle. By illuminating the jet with a strobe light driven at a frequency slightly less than the frequency of the perturbation we slow down the apparent motion by large factors ( 100 , 000) and capture the phenomena with high temporal and spatial resolution. Newtonian liquid jets become unstable at moderate Reynolds numbers (Rej 150) and sinuous or varicose patterns emerge and grow in amplitude. As the jet moves downstream, the varicose waves gradually pile up in the sinuous ones due to the difference in their corresponding wave speeds, leading to a unique chevron-like morphology. Experiments with model viscoelastic polymer solutions show that this inertial instability is fully stabilized sufficiently large levels of elasticity. We compare our experimental results with the theoretical predictions of an elastic Rayleigh equation for an axisymmetric jet and show that the presence of streamline tension is indeed the stabilizing effect for inertioelastic jets.

  1. Modular droplet actuator drive

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pollack, Michael G. (Inventor); Paik, Philip (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    A droplet actuator drive including a detection apparatus for sensing a property of a droplet on a droplet actuator; circuitry for controlling the detection apparatus electronically coupled to the detection apparatus; a droplet actuator cartridge connector arranged so that when a droplet actuator cartridge electronically is coupled thereto: the droplet actuator cartridge is aligned with the detection apparatus; and the detection apparatus can sense the property of the droplet on a droplet actuator; circuitry for controlling a droplet actuator coupled to the droplet actuator connector; and the droplet actuator circuitry may be coupled to a processor.

  2. Flight control actuation system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wingett, Paul T. (Inventor); Gaines, Louie T. (Inventor); Evans, Paul S. (Inventor); Kern, James I. (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    A flight control actuation system comprises a controller, electromechanical actuator and a pneumatic actuator. During normal operation, only the electromechanical actuator is needed to operate a flight control surface. When the electromechanical actuator load level exceeds 40 amps positive, the controller activates the pneumatic actuator to offset electromechanical actuator loads to assist the manipulation of flight control surfaces. The assistance from the pneumatic load assist actuator enables the use of an electromechanical actuator that is smaller in size and mass, requires less power, needs less cooling processes, achieves high output forces and adapts to electrical current variations. The flight control actuation system is adapted for aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and other flight vehicles, especially flight vehicles that are large in size and travel at high velocities.

  3. Flight control actuation system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wingett, Paul T. (Inventor); Gaines, Louie T. (Inventor); Evans, Paul S. (Inventor); Kern, James I. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    A flight control actuation system comprises a controller, electromechanical actuator and a pneumatic actuator. During normal operation, only the electromechanical actuator is needed to operate a flight control surface. When the electromechanical actuator load level exceeds 40 amps positive, the controller activates the pneumatic actuator to offset electromechanical actuator loads to assist the manipulation of flight control surfaces. The assistance from the pneumatic load assist actuator enables the use of an electromechanical actuator that is smaller in size and mass, requires less power, needs less cooling processes, achieves high output forces and adapts to electrical current variations. The flight control actuation system is adapted for aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and other flight vehicles, especially flight vehicles that are large in size and travel at high velocities.

  4. Quantitative fault tolerant control design for a hydraulic actuator with a leaking piston seal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karpenko, Mark

    conditions. Using the HIL framework, the fault tolerant hydraulic actuator is operated as a flight control actuator against the real-time numerical simulation of a high-performance jet aircraft. A robust electrohydraulic loading system is also designed using QFT so that the in-flight aerodynamic load can be experimentally replicated. The results of the HIL experiments show that using the fault tolerant controller to compensate the internal leakage fault at the actuator level can benefit the flight performance of the airplane.

  5. Optimization of Tangential Mass Injection for Minimizing Flow Separation in a Scramjet Inlet

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-12-01

    34 Aerospace EnQineering, Vol. 11. No. 8, August 1991, p.23. 26. Heppenheimer , Thomas A . Lecture notes from Hypersonic Technologies seminar. University...AFIT/GAE/ENY,/9 lD-2 ( /~ AD-A243 868 "DTIC OPTIMIZATION OF TANGENTIAL MASS INJECTION FOR MINIMIZING FLOW SEPARATION IN A SC.R-.MJET INLET THESIS...OF TANGENTIAL MASS INJECTION FOR MINIMIZING FLOW SEPARATION IN A SCRAMJET INLEr THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the School of E.ngineering of the

  6. Tangential migratory pathways of subpallial origin in the embryonic telencephalon of sharks: evolutionary implications.

    PubMed

    Quintana-Urzainqui, Idoia; Rodríguez-Moldes, Isabel; Mazan, Sylvie; Candal, Eva

    2015-09-01

    Tangential neuronal migration occurs along different axes from the axis demarcated by radial glia and it is thought to have evolved as a mechanism to increase the diversity of cell types in brain areas, which in turn resulted in increased complexity of functional networks. In the telencephalon of amniotes, different embryonic tangential pathways have been characterized. However, little is known about the exact routes of migrations in basal vertebrates. Cartilaginous fishes occupy a key phylogenetic position to assess the ancestral condition of vertebrate brain organization. In order to identify putative subpallial-derived tangential migratory pathways in the telencephalon of sharks, we performed a detailed analysis of the distribution pattern of GAD and Dlx2, two reliable markers of tangentially migrating interneurons of subpallial origin in the developing forebrain. We propose the existence of five tangential routes directed toward different telencephalic regions. We conclude that four of the five routes might have emerged in the common ancestor of jawed vertebrates. We have paid special attention to the characterization of the proposed migratory pathway directed towards the olfactory bulbs. Our results suggest that it may be equivalent to the "rostral migratory stream" of mammals and led us to propose a hypothesis about its evolution. The analysis of the final destinations of two other streams allowed us to identify the putative dorsal and medial pallium of sharks, the regions from which the neocortex and hippocampus might have, respectively, evolved. Derived features were also reported and served to explain some distinctive traits in the morphology of the telencephalon of cartilaginous fishes.

  7. Soft Robotic Actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Godfrey, Juleon Taylor

    In this thesis a survey on soft robotic actuators is conducted. The actuators are classified into three main categories: Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAM), Electronic Electroactive Polymers (Electric EAP), and Ionic Electroactive Polymers (Ionic EAP). Soft robots can have many degrees and are more compliant than hard robots. This makes them suitable for applications that are difficult for hard robots. For each actuator background history, build materials, how they operate, and modeling are presented. Multiple actuators in each class are reviewed highlighting both their use and their mathematical formulation. In addition to the survey the McKibben actuator was chosen for fabrication and in-depth experimental analysis. Four McKibben actuators were fabricated using mesh sleeve, barbed hose fittings, and different elastic bladders. All were actuated using compressed air. Tensile tests were performed for each actuator to measure the tension force as air pressure increased from 20 to 100 psi in 10 psi increments. To account for material relaxation properties eleven trials for each actuator were run for 2-3 days. In conclusion, the smallest outer diameter elastic bladder was capable of producing the highest force due to the larger gap between the bladder and the sleeve.

  8. Application of Synthetic Jets to Reduce Stator Flow Separation in a Low Speed Axial Compressor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Braunscheidel, Edward P.; Culley, Dennis E.; Zaman, Khairul B.M.Q.

    2008-01-01

    Flow control using synthetic jet injection has been applied in a low speed axial compressor. The synthetic jets were applied from the suction surface of a stator vane via a span-wise row of slots pitched in the streamwise direction. Actuation was provided externally from acoustic drivers coupled to the vane tip via flexible tubing. The acoustic resonance characteristics of the system, and the resultant jet velocities were obtained. The effects on the separated flow field for various jet velocities and frequencies were explored. Total pressure loss reductions across the vane passage were measured. The effect of synthetic jet injection was shown to be comparable to that of pulsatory injection with mass addition for stator vanes which had separated flow. While only a weak dependence of the beneficial effect was noted based on the excitation frequency, a strong dependence on the amplitude was observed at all frequencies.

  9. Iso-thermal flow characteristics of rotationally symmetric jets generating a swirl within a cylindrical chamber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Long, Shen; Lau, Timothy C. W.; Chinnici, Alfonso; Tian, Zhao Feng; Dally, Bassam B.; Nathan, Graham J.

    2018-05-01

    We present a systematic experimental study of the interaction between four rotationally symmetric jets within a cylindrical chamber, under conditions relevant to a wide range of engineering applications, including the technology of a Hybrid Solar Receiver Combustor (HSRC). The HSRC geometry is simplified here to a cylindrical cavity with four inlet jets (representing four burners) which are configured in an annular arrangement and aligned at an inclination angle to the axis with a tangential component (azimuthal angle) to generate a swirl in the chamber. In this study, the jet inclination angle (αj) was varied over the range of 25°-45°, while the jet azimuthal angle (θj) was varied from 5° to 15°. The inlet Reynolds number for each injected jet and the number of jets were fixed at ReD = 10 500 and 4, respectively. Measurements obtained with Particle Image Velocimetry were used to characterise the large-scale flow field within selected configurations. The results reveal a significant dependence of the mean and root-mean-square flow-fields on the jet azimuthal angle (θj) and the jet inclination angle (αj). Three different flow regimes with distinctive flow characteristics were identified within the configurations investigated here. It was also found that θj can significantly influence (a) the position and strength of an external recirculation zone and a central recirculation zone, (b) the extent of turbulence fluctuation, and (c) the flow unsteadiness. Importantly, the effect of αj on the flow characteristics was found to depend strongly on the value of θj.

  10. Turbine exhaust diffuser with a gas jet producing a coanda effect flow control

    DOEpatents

    Orosa, John; Montgomery, Matthew

    2014-02-11

    An exhaust diffuser system and method for a turbine engine includes an inner boundary and an outer boundary with a flow path defined therebetween. The inner boundary is defined at least in part by a hub structure that has an upstream end and a downstream end. The outer boundary may include a region in which the outer boundary extends radially inward toward the hub structure and may direct at least a portion of an exhaust flow in the diffuser toward the hub structure. The hub structure includes at least one jet exit located on the hub structure adjacent to the upstream end of the tail cone. The jet exit discharges a flow of gas substantially tangential to an outer surface of the tail cone to produce a Coanda effect and direct a portion of the exhaust flow in the diffuser toward the inner boundary.

  11. On the pulsating electric wind of a Single Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) plasma actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vernet, Julie; Örlü, Ramis; Alfredsson, P. Henrik

    2014-11-01

    An experimental study is conducted on the electric wind produced by a Single Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) plasma actuator placed at the top of a half cylinder. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) measurements were performed and results show that increasing the driving voltage (6-16 kV peak-to-peak) and frequency (0.5-2 kHz) of the actuator increases the induced jet velocity (up to 4 m/s) and thus the momentum added by the actuator. The focus of the present study is on the phase-resolved behavior of the electric wind, in particular, its two strokes. Phase-averaged LDV data reveals that while the velocity during both strokes remains positive, there is nearly a factor of two in amplitude. The difference of behavior between the two strokes and its downstream and wall-normal evolution are mapped for various driving voltages. Results indicate that this difference is restricted to the vicinity of the actuator, thereby justifying the assumption of a steady force in simulations to model the induced force. The study is part of a larger investigation aiming at separation control on the A-pillar of a truck cabin. The support of the Swedish Energy Agency and SCANIA CV of the project Flow Research on Active and Novel Control Efficiency (FRANCE) is greatly acknowledged.

  12. Tangential migration of glutamatergic neurons and cortical patterning during development: Lessons from Cajal-Retzius cells.

    PubMed

    Barber, Melissa; Pierani, Alessandra

    2016-08-01

    Tangential migration is a mode of cell movement, which in the developing cerebral cortex, is defined by displacement parallel to the ventricular surface and orthogonal to the radial glial fibers. This mode of long-range migration is a strategy by which distinct neuronal classes generated from spatially and molecularly distinct origins can integrate to form appropriate neural circuits within the cortical plate. While it was previously believed that only GABAergic cortical interneurons migrate tangentially from their origins in the subpallial ganglionic eminences to integrate in the cortical plate, it is now known that transient populations of glutamatergic neurons also adopt this mode of migration. These include Cajal-Retzius cells (CRs), subplate neurons (SPs), and cortical plate transient neurons (CPTs), which have crucial roles in orchestrating the radial and tangential development of the embryonic cerebral cortex in a noncell-autonomous manner. While CRs have been extensively studied, it is only in the last decade that the molecular mechanisms governing their tangential migration have begun to be elucidated. To date, the mechanisms of SPs and CPTs tangential migration remain unknown. We therefore review the known signaling pathways, which regulate parameters of CRs migration including their motility, contact-redistribution and adhesion to the pial surface, and discuss this in the context of how CR migration may regulate their signaling activity in a spatial and temporal manner. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 847-881, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. The near infrared imaging system for the real-time protection of the JET ITER-like wall

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huber, A.; Kinna, D.; Huber, V.; Arnoux, G.; Balboa, I.; Balorin, C.; Carman, P.; Carvalho, P.; Collins, S.; Conway, N.; McCullen, P.; Jachmich, S.; Jouve, M.; Linsmeier, Ch; Lomanowski, B.; Lomas, P. J.; Lowry, C. G.; Maggi, C. F.; Matthews, G. F.; May-Smith, T.; Meigs, A.; Mertens, Ph; Nunes, I.; Price, M.; Puglia, P.; Riccardo, V.; Rimini, F. G.; Sergienko, G.; Tsalas, M.; Zastrow, K.-D.; contributors, JET

    2017-12-01

    This paper describes the design, implementation and operation of the near infrared (NIR) imaging diagnostic system of the JET ITER-like wall (JET-ILW) plasma experiment and its integration into the existing JET protection architecture. The imaging system comprises four wide-angle views, four tangential divertor views, and two top views of the divertor covering 66% of the first wall and up to 43% of the divertor. The operation temperature ranges which must be observed by the NIR protection cameras are, for the materials used on JET: Be 700 °C-1400 °C W coating 700 °C-1370 °C W bulk 700 °C-1400 °C. The Real-Time Protection system operates routinely since 2011 and successfully demonstrated its capability to avoid the overheating of the main chamber beryllium wall as well as of the divertor W and W-coated carbon fibre composite (CFC) tiles. During this period, less than 0.5% of the terminated discharges were aborted by a malfunction of the system. About 2%-3% of the discharges were terminated due to the detection of actual hot spots.

  14. MEMS fluidic actuator

    DOEpatents

    Kholwadwala, Deepesh K [Albuquerque, NM; Johnston, Gabriel A [Trophy Club, TX; Rohrer, Brandon R [Albuquerque, NM; Galambos, Paul C [Albuquerque, NM; Okandan, Murat [Albuquerque, NM

    2007-07-24

    The present invention comprises a novel, lightweight, massively parallel device comprising microelectromechanical (MEMS) fluidic actuators, to reconfigure the profile, of a surface. Each microfluidic actuator comprises an independent bladder that can act as both a sensor and an actuator. A MEMS sensor, and a MEMS valve within each microfluidic actuator, operate cooperatively to monitor the fluid within each bladder, and regulate the flow of the fluid entering and exiting each bladder. When adjacently spaced in a array, microfluidic actuators can create arbitrary surface profiles in response to a change in the operating environment of the surface. In an embodiment of the invention, the profile of an airfoil is controlled by independent extension and contraction of a plurality of actuators, that operate to displace a compliant cover.

  15. Kalker's algorithm Fastsim solves tangential contact problems with slip-dependent friction and friction anisotropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piotrowski, J.

    2010-07-01

    This paper presents two extensions of Kalker's algorithm Fastsim of the simplified theory of rolling contact. The first extension is for solving tangential contact problems with the coefficient of friction depending on slip velocity. Two friction laws have been considered: with and without recuperation of the static friction. According to the tribological hypothesis for metallic bodies shear failure, the friction law without recuperation of static friction is more suitable for wheel and rail than the other one. Sample results present local quantities inside the contact area (division to slip and adhesion, traction) as well as global ones (creep forces as functions of creepages and rolling velocity). For the coefficient of friction diminishing with slip, the creep forces decay after reaching the maximum and they depend on the rolling velocity. The second extension is for solving tangential contact problems with friction anisotropy characterised by a convex set of the permissible tangential tractions. The effect of the anisotropy has been shown on examples of rolling without spin and in the presence of pure spin for the elliptical set. The friction anisotropy influences tangential tractions and creep forces. Sample results present local and global quantities. Both extensions have been described with the same language of formulation and they may be merged into one, joint algorithm.

  16. Cryogenic Piezoelectric Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jiang, Xiaoning; Cook, William B.; Hackenberger, Wesley S.

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, PMN-PT single crystal piezoelectric stack actuators and flextensional actuators were designed, prototyped and characterized for space optics applications. Single crystal stack actuators with footprint of 10 mm x10 mm and the height of 50 mm were assembled using 10 mm x10mm x0.15mm PMN-PT plates. These actuators showed stroke > 65 - 85 microns at 150 V at room temperature, and > 30 microns stroke at 77 K. Flextensional actuators with dimension of 10mm x 5 mm x 7.6 mm showed stroke of >50 microns at room temperature at driving voltage of 150 V. A flextensional stack actuator with dimension of 10 mm x 5 mm x 47 mm showed stroke of approx. 285 microns at 150 V at room temperature and > 100 microns at 77K under driving of 150 V should be expected. The large cryogenic stroke and high precision of these actuators are promising for cryogenic optics applications.

  17. Bi-directional series-parallel elastic actuator and overlap of the actuation layers.

    PubMed

    Furnémont, Raphaël; Mathijssen, Glenn; Verstraten, Tom; Lefeber, Dirk; Vanderborght, Bram

    2016-01-27

    Several robotics applications require high torque-to-weight ratio and energy efficient actuators. Progress in that direction was made by introducing compliant elements into the actuation. A large variety of actuators were developed such as series elastic actuators (SEAs), variable stiffness actuators and parallel elastic actuators (PEAs). SEAs can reduce the peak power while PEAs can reduce the torque requirement on the motor. Nonetheless, these actuators still cannot meet performances close to humans. To combine both advantages, the series parallel elastic actuator (SPEA) was developed. The principle is inspired from biological muscles. Muscles are composed of motor units, placed in parallel, which are variably recruited as the required effort increases. This biological principle is exploited in the SPEA, where springs (layers), placed in parallel, can be recruited one by one. This recruitment is performed by an intermittent mechanism. This paper presents the development of a SPEA using the MACCEPA principle with a self-closing mechanism. This actuator can deliver a bi-directional output torque, variable stiffness and reduced friction. The load on the motor can also be reduced, leading to a lower power consumption. The variable recruitment of the parallel springs can also be tuned in order to further decrease the consumption of the actuator for a given task. First, an explanation of the concept and a brief description of the prior work done will be given. Next, the design and the model of one of the layers will be presented. The working principle of the full actuator will then be given. At the end of this paper, experiments showing the electric consumption of the actuator will display the advantage of the SPEA over an equivalent stiff actuator.

  18. In Operation Detection and Correction of Rotor Imbalance in Jet Engines Using Active Vibration Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manchala, Daniel W.; Palazzolo, Alan B.; Kascak, Albert F.; Montague, Gerald T.; Brown, Gerald V.; Lawrence, Charles; Klusman, Steve

    1994-01-01

    Jet Engines may experience severe vibration due to the sudden imbalance caused by blade failure. This research investigates employment of on board magnetic bearings or piezoelectric actuators to cancel these forces in flight. This operation requires identification of the source of the vibrations via an expert system, determination of the required phase angles and amplitudes for the correction forces, and application of the desired control signals to the magnetic bearings or piezo electric actuators. This paper will show the architecture of the software system, details of the control algorithm used for the sudden imbalance correction project described above, and the laboratory test results.

  19. Flow Physics of Synthetic Jet Interactions on a Sweptback Model with a Control Surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monastero, Marianne; Amitay, Michael

    2016-11-01

    Active flow control using synthetic jets can be used on aerodynamic surfaces to improve performance and increase fuel efficiency. The flowfield resulting from the interaction of the jets with a separated crossflow with a spanwise component must be understood to determine actuator spacing for aircraft integration. The current and previous work showed adjacent synthetic jets located upstream of a control surface hingeline on a sweptback model interact with each other under certain conditions. Whether these interactions are constructive or destructive is dependent on the spanwise spacing of the jets, the severity of separation over the control surface, and the magnitude of the spanwise flow. Measuring and understanding the detailed flow physics of the flow structures emanating from the synthetic jet orifices and their interactions with adjacent jets of varying spacings is the focus of this work. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Subsonic Wind Tunnel using stereo particle image velocimetry (SPIV) and pressure measurements to study the effect that varying the spanwise spacing has on the overall performance. Initial SPIV data gave insight into defining and understanding the mechanisms behind the beneficial or detrimental jets interactions.

  20. Soft, Rotating Pneumatic Actuator.

    PubMed

    Ainla, Alar; Verma, Mohit S; Yang, Dian; Whitesides, George M

    2017-09-01

    This article describes a soft pneumatic actuator that generates cyclical motion. The actuator consists of several (three, four, or five) chambers (arranged around the circumference of a circle surrounding a central rod) that can be actuated independently using negative pressure (or partial vacuum). Sequential actuation of the four-chamber device using reduced pressure moves the central rod cyclically in an approximately square path. We characterize the trajectory of the actuator and the force exerted by it, as we vary the material used for fabrication, the number of chambers, and the size of the actuator. We demonstrate two applications of this actuator: to deliver fluid while stirring (by replacing the central rod with a needle) and for locomotion that mimics a reptilian gait (by combining four actuators together).

  1. Soft buckling actuators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Dian; Whitesides, George M.

    A soft actuator is described, including: a rotation center having a center of mass; a plurality of bucklable, elastic structural components each comprising a wall defining an axis along its longest dimension, the wall connected to the rotation center in a way that the axis is offset from the center of mass in a predetermined direction; and a plurality of cells each disposed between two adjacent bucklable, elastic structural components and configured for connection with a fluid inflation or deflation source; wherein upon the deflation of the cell, the bucklable, elastic structural components are configured to buckle in the predeterminedmore » direction. A soft actuating device including a plurality of the soft actuators and methods of actuation using the soft actuator or soft actuating device disclosed herein are also described.« less

  2. Aerodynamically-Actuated Radical Shape-Change Concept

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ivanco, Thomas G.; Ivanco, Marie L.; Ancel, Ersin; Grubb, Amanda L.; Prasad, Supranamaaya

    2017-01-01

    Aerodynamically-actuated radical shape change (AARSC) is a novel concept that enables flight vehicles to conduct a mission profile containing radically different flight regimes while possibly mitigating the typical penalties incurred by radical geometric change. Weight penalties are mitigated by utilizing a primary flight control to generate aerodynamic loads that then drive a shape-change actuation. The flight mission profile used to analyze the AARSC concept is that of a transport aircraft that cruises at a lower altitude than typical transports. Based upon a preliminary analysis, substantial fuel savings are realized for mission ranges below 2000 NM by comparison to a state-of-the-art baseline, with an increasing impact as mission range is reduced. The predicted savings are so significant at short-haul ranges that the shape-change concept rivals the fuel-burn performance of turboprop aircraft while completing missions in less time than typical jet aircraft. Lower-altitude cruise has also been sought after in recent years for environmental benefits, however, the performance penalty to conventional aircraft was prohibitive. AARSC may enable the opportunity to realize the environmental benefits of lower-altitude emissions coupled with mission fuel savings. The findings of this study also reveal that the AARSC concept appears to be controllable, turbulence susceptibility is likely not an issue, and the shape change concept appears to be mechanically and aerodynamically feasible.

  3. Active Control of Flow Separation Over an Airfoil

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ravindran, S. S.

    1999-01-01

    Designing an aircraft without conventional control surfaces is of interest to aerospace community. In this direction, smart actuator devices such as synthetic jets have been proposed to provide aircraft maneuverability instead of control surfaces. In this article, a numerical study is performed to investigate the effects of unsteady suction and blowing on airfoils. The unsteady suction and blowing is introduced at the leading edge of the airfoil in the form of tangential jet. Numerical solutions are obtained using Reynolds-Averaged viscous compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Unsteady suction and blowing is investigated as a means of separation control to obtain lift on airfoils. The effect of blowing coefficients on lift and drag is investigated. The numerical simulations are compared with experiments from the Tel-Aviv University (TAU). These results indicate that unsteady suction and blowing can be used as a means of separation control to generate lift on airfoils.

  4. Non-collinear valve actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Richard, James A. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    A non-collinear valve actuator includes a primary actuating system and a return spring system with each applying forces to a linkage system in order to regulate the flow of a quarter-turn valve. The primary actuating system and return spring system are positioned non-collinearly, which simply means the primary actuating system and return spring system are not in line with each other. By positioning the primary actuating system and return spring system in this manner, the primary actuating system can undergo a larger stroke while the return spring system experiences significantly less displacement. This allows the length of the return spring to be reduced due to the minimization of displacement thereby reducing the weight of the return spring system. By allowing the primary actuating system to undergo longer strokes, the weight of the primary actuating system may also be reduced. Accordingly, the weight of the non-collinear valve actuator is reduced.

  5. The quality assessment of radial and tangential neutron radiography beamlines of TRR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choopan Dastjerdi, M. H.; Movafeghi, A.; Khalafi, H.; Kasesaz, Y.

    2017-07-01

    To achieve a quality neutron radiographic image in a relatively short exposure time, the neutron radiography beam must be of good quality and relatively high neutron flux. Characterization of a neutron radiography beam, such as determination of the image quality and the neutron flux, is vital for producing quality radiographic images and also provides a means to compare the quality of different neutron radiography facilities. This paper provides a characterization of the radial and tangential neutron radiography beamlines at the Tehran research reactor. This work includes determination of the facilities category according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, and also uses the gold foils to determine the neutron beam flux. The radial neutron beam is a Category I neutron radiography facility, the highest possible quality level according to the ASTM. The tangential beam is a Category IV neutron radiography facility. Gold foil activation experiments show that the measured neutron flux for radial beamline with length-to-diameter ratio (L/D) =150 is 6.1× 106 n cm-2 s-1 and for tangential beamline with (L/D)=115 is 2.4× 104 n cm-2 s-1.

  6. Forbidden tangential orbit transfers between intersecting Keplerian orbits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burns, Rowland E.

    1990-01-01

    The classical problem of tangential impulse transfer between coplanar Keplerian orbits is addressed. A completely analytic solution which does not rely on sequential calculation is obtained and this solution is used to demonstrate that certain initially chosen angles can produce singularities in the parameters of the transfer orbit. A necessary and sufficient condition for such singularities is that the initial and final orbits intersect.

  7. The Piezo Actuator-Driven Pulsed Water Jet System for Minimizing Renal Damage after Off-Clamp Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy.

    PubMed

    Kamiyama, Yoshihiro; Yamashita, Shinichi; Nakagawa, Atsuhiro; Fujii, Shinji; Mitsuzuka, Koji; Kaiho, Yasuhiro; Ito, Akihiro; Abe, Takaaki; Tominaga, Teiji; Arai, Yoichi

    2017-09-01

    In the setting of partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma, postoperative renal dysfunction might be caused by surgical procedure. The aim of this study was to clarify the technical safety and renal damage after off-clamp laparoscopic PN (LPN) with a piezo actuator-driven pulsed water jet (ADPJ) system. Eight swine underwent off-clamp LPN with this surgical device, while off-clamp open PN was also performed with radio knife or soft coagulation. The length of the removed kidney was 40 mm, and the renal parenchyma was dissected until the renal calyx became clearly visible. The degree of renal degeneration from the resection surface was compared by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining and immunostaining for 1-methyladenosine, a sensitive marker for the ischemic tissue damage. The mRNA levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (Ngal), a biomarker for acute kidney injury, were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Off-clamp LPN with ADPJ system was successfully performed while preserving fine blood vessels and the renal calix with little bleeding. In contrast to other devices, the resection surface obtained with the ADPJ system showed only marginal degree of ischemic changes. Indeed, the expression level of Ngal mRNA was lower in the resection surface obtained with the ADPJ system than that with soft coagulation (p = 0.02). Furthermore, using the excised specimens of renal cell carcinoma, we measured the breaking strength at each site of the human kidney, suggesting the applicability of this ADPJ to clinical trials. In conclusion, off-clamp LPN with the ADPJ system could be safely performed with attenuated renal damage.

  8. Micromachined electrostatic vertical actuator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Abraham P.; Sommargren, Gary E.; McConaghy, Charles F.

    A micromachined vertical actuator utilizing a levitational force, such as in electrostatic comb drives, provides vertical actuation that is relatively linear in actuation for control, and can be readily combined with parallel plate capacitive position sensing for position control. The micromachined electrostatic vertical actuator provides accurate movement in the sub-micron to micron ranges which is desirable in the phase modulation instrument, such as optical phase shifting. For example, compact, inexpensive, and position controllable micromirrors utilizing an electrostatic vertical actuator can replace the large, expensive, and difficult-to-maintain piezoelectric actuators. A thirty pound piezoelectric actuator with corner cube reflectors, as utilized inmore » a phase shifting diffraction interferometer can be replaced with a micromirror and a lens. For any very precise and small amplitudes of motion` micromachined electrostatic actuation may be used because it is the most compact in size, with low power consumption and has more straightforward sensing and control options.« less

  9. Micromachined electrostatic vertical actuator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, A.P.; Sommargren, G.E.; McConaghy, C.F.

    A micromachined vertical actuator utilizing a levitational force, such as in electrostatic comb drives, provides vertical actuation that is relatively linear in actuation for control, and can be readily combined with parallel plate capacitive position sensing for position control. The micromachined electrostatic vertical actuator provides accurate movement in the sub-micron to micron ranges which is desirable in the phase modulation instrument, such as optical phase shifting. For example, compact, inexpensive, and position controllable micromirrors utilizing an electrostatic vertical actuator can replace the large, expensive, and difficult-to-maintain piezoelectric actuators. A thirty pound piezoelectric actuator with corner cube reflectors, as utilized inmore » a phase shifting diffraction interferometer can be replaced with a micromirror and a lens. For any very precise and small amplitudes of motion, micromachined electrostatic actuation may be used because it is the most compact in size, with low power consumption and has more straightforward sensing and control options.« less

  10. Test and theory for piezoelectric actuator-active vibration control of rotating machinery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Palazzolo, A. B.; Lin, R. R.; Alexander, R. M.; Kascak, A. F.; Montague, J.

    1989-01-01

    The application of piezoelectric actuators for active vibration control (AVC) of rotating machinery is examined. Theory is derived and the resulting predictions are shown to agree closely with results of tests performed on an air turbine driven-overhung rotor. The test results show significant reduction in unbalance, transient and sub-synchronous responses. Results from a 30-hour endurance test support the AVD system reliability. Various aspects of the electro-mechanical stability of the control system are also discussed and illustrated. Finally, application of the AVC system to an actual jet engine is discussed.

  11. Comparison of histologic margin status in low-grade cutaneous and subcutaneous canine mast cell tumours examined by radial and tangential sections.

    PubMed

    Dores, C B; Milovancev, M; Russell, D S

    2018-03-01

    Radial sections are widely used to estimate adequacy of excision in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs); however, this sectioning technique estimates only a small fraction of total margin circumference. This study aimed to compare histologic margin status in grade II/low grade MCTs sectioned using both radial and tangential sectioning techniques. A total of 43 circumferential margins were evaluated from 21 different tumours. Margins were first sectioned radially, followed by tangential sections. Tissues were examined by routine histopathology. Tangential margin status differed in 10 of 43 (23.3%) margins compared with their initial status on radial section. Of 39 margins, 9 (23.1%) categorized as histologic tumour-free margin (HTFM) >0 mm were positive on tangential sectioning. Tangential sections detected a significantly higher proportion of positive margins relative to radial sections (exact 2-tailed P-value = .0215). The HTFM was significantly longer in negative tangential margins than positive tangential margins (mean 10.1 vs 3.2 mm; P = .0008). A receiver operating characteristic curve comparing HTFM and tangentially negative margins found an area under the curve of 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.96). Although correct classification peaked at the sixth cut-point of HTFM ≥1 mm, radial sections still incorrectly classified 50% of margins as lacking tumour cells. Radial sections had 100% specificity for predicting negative tangential margins at a cut-point of 10.9 mm. These data indicate that for low grade MCTs, HTFMs >0 mm should not be considered completely excised, particularly when HTFM is <10.9 mm. This will inform future studies that use HTFM and overall excisional status as dependent variables in multivariable prognostic models. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Flow control in axial fan inlet guide vanes by synthetic jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cyrus, V.; Trávníček, Z.; Wurst, P.; Kordík, J.

    2013-04-01

    Tested high pressure axial flow fan with hub/tip ratio of 0.70 and external diameter of 600 mm consisted of inlet guide vanes (IGV), rotor and stator blade rows. Fan peripheral velocity was 47 m/s. Air volume flow rate was changed by turning of rear part of the inlet guide vanes. At turning of 20 deg the flow was separated on the IGV profiles. The synthetic jets were introduced through radial holes in machine casing in the location before flow separation origin. Synthetic jet actuator was designed with the use of a speaker by UT AVCR. Its membrane had diameter of 63 mm. Excitation frequency was chosen in the range of 500 Hz - 700 Hz. Synthetic jets favourably influenced separated flow on the vane profiles in the distance of (5 - 12) mm from the casing surface. The reduction of flow separation area caused in the region near the casing the decrease of the profile loss coefficient approximately by 20%.

  13. A role for intermediate radial glia in the tangential expansion of the mammalian cerebral cortex.

    PubMed

    Reillo, Isabel; de Juan Romero, Camino; García-Cabezas, Miguel Ángel; Borrell, Víctor

    2011-07-01

    The cerebral cortex of large mammals undergoes massive surface area expansion and folding during development. Specific mechanisms to orchestrate the growth of the cortex in surface area rather than in thickness are likely to exist, but they have not been identified. Analyzing multiple species, we have identified a specialized type of progenitor cell that is exclusive to mammals with a folded cerebral cortex, which we named intermediate radial glia cell (IRGC). IRGCs express Pax6 but not Tbr2, have a radial fiber contacting the pial surface but not the ventricular surface, and are found in both the inner subventricular zone and outer subventricular zone (OSVZ). We find that IRGCs are massively generated in the OSVZ, thus augmenting the numbers of radial fibers. Fanning out of this expanding radial fiber scaffold promotes the tangential dispersion of radially migrating neurons, allowing for the growth in surface area of the cortical sheet. Accordingly, the tangential expansion of particular cortical regions was preceded by high proliferation in the underlying OSVZ, whereas the experimental reduction of IRGCs impaired the tangential dispersion of neurons and resulted in a smaller cortical surface. Thus, the generation of IRGCs plays a key role in the tangential expansion of the mammalian cerebral cortex.

  14. Microprocessor controlled force actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zimmerman, D. C.; Inman, D. J.; Horner, G. C.

    1986-01-01

    The mechanical and electrical design of a prototype force actuator for vibration control of large space structures (LSS) is described. The force actuator is an electromagnetic system that produces a force by reacting against a proof-mass. The actuator has two colocated sensors, a digital microcontroller, and a power amplifier. The total weight of actuator is .998 kg. The actuator has a steady state force output of approximately 2.75 N from approximately 2 Hz to well beyond 1000 Hz.

  15. Fringe-jump corrected far infrared tangential interferometer/polarimeter for a real-time density feedback control system of NSTX plasmasa)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juhn, J.-W.; Lee, K. C.; Hwang, Y. S.; Domier, C. W.; Luhmann, N. C.; Leblanc, B. P.; Mueller, D.; Gates, D. A.; Kaita, R.

    2010-10-01

    The far infrared tangential interferometer/polarimeter (FIReTIP) of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) has been set up to provide reliable electron density signals for a real-time density feedback control system. This work consists of two main parts: suppression of the fringe jumps that have been prohibiting the plasma density from use in the direct feedback to actuators and the conceptual design of a density feedback control system including the FIReTIP, control hardware, and software that takes advantage of the NSTX plasma control system (PCS). By investigating numerous shot data after July 2009 when the new electronics were installed, fringe jumps in the FIReTIP are well characterized, and consequently the suppressing algorithms are working properly as shown in comparisons with the Thomson scattering diagnostic. This approach is also applicable to signals taken at a 5 kHz sampling rate, which is a fundamental constraint imposed by the digitizers providing inputs to the PCS. The fringe jump correction algorithm, as well as safety and feedback modules, will be included as submodules either in the gas injection system category or a new category of density in the PCS.

  16. Backed Bending Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Costen, Robert C.; Su, Ji

    2004-01-01

    Bending actuators of a proposed type would partly resemble ordinary bending actuators, but would include simple additional components that would render them capable of exerting large forces at small displacements. Like an ordinary bending actuator, an actuator according to the proposal would include a thin rectangular strip that would comprise two bonded layers (possibly made of electroactive polymers with surface electrodes) and would be clamped at one end in the manner of a cantilever beam. Unlike an ordinary bending actuator, the proposed device would include a rigid flat backplate that would support part of the bending strip against backward displacement; because of this feature, the proposed device is called a backed bending actuator. When an ordinary bending actuator is inactive, the strip typically lies flat, the tip displacement is zero, and the force exerted by the tip is zero. During activation, the tip exerts a transverse force and undergoes a bending displacement that results from the expansion or contraction of one or more of the bonded layers. The tip force of an ordinary bending actuator is inversely proportional to its length; hence, a long actuator tends to be weak. The figure depicts an ordinary bending actuator and the corresponding backed bending actuator. The bending, the tip displacement (d(sub t)), and the tip force (F) exerted by the ordinary bending actuator are well approximated by the conventional equations for the loading and deflection of a cantilever beam subject to a bending moment which, in this case, is applied by the differential expansion or contraction of the bonded layers. The bending, displacement, and tip force of the backed bending actuator are calculated similarly, except that it is necessary to account for the fact that the force F(sub b) that resists the displacement of the tip could be sufficient to push part of the strip against the backplate; in such a condition, the cantilever beam would be effectively shortened

  17. Further studies on cortical tangential migration in wild type and Pax-6 mutant mice.

    PubMed

    Jiménez, D; López-Mascaraque, L; de Carlos, J A; Valverde, F

    2002-01-01

    In this study we present new data concerning the tangential migration from the medial and lateral ganglionic eminences (MGE and LGE) to the cerebral cortex during development. We have used Calbindin as a useful marker to follow the itinerary of tangential migratory cells during early developmental stages in wild-type and Pax-6 homozygous mutant mice. In the wild-type mice, at early developmental stages, migrating cells advance through the intermediate zone (IZ) and preplate (PP). At more advanced stages, migrating cells were present in the subplate (SP) and cortical plate (CP) to reach the entire developing cerebral cortex. We found that, in the homozygous mutant mice (Pax-6(Sey-Neu)/Pax-6(Sey-Neu)), this tangential migration is severely affected at early developmental stages: migrating cells were absent in the IZ, which were only found some days later, suggesting that in the mutant mice, there is a temporal delay in tangential migration. We have also defined some possible mechanisms to explain certain migratory routes from the basal telencephalon to the cerebral cortex. We describe the existence of two factors, which we consider to be essential for the normal migration; the first one is the cell adhesion molecule PSA-NCAM, whose role in other migratory systems is well known. The second factor is Robo-2, whose expression delimits a channel for the passage of migratory cells from the basal telencephalon to the cerebral cortex.

  18. Generating and controlling homogeneous air turbulence using random jet arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carter, Douglas; Petersen, Alec; Amili, Omid; Coletti, Filippo

    2016-12-01

    The use of random jet arrays, already employed in water tank facilities to generate zero-mean-flow homogeneous turbulence, is extended to air as a working fluid. A novel facility is introduced that uses two facing arrays of individually controlled jets (256 in total) to force steady homogeneous turbulence with negligible mean flow, shear, and strain. Quasi-synthetic jet pumps are created by expanding pressurized air through small straight nozzles and are actuated by fast-response low-voltage solenoid valves. Velocity fields, two-point correlations, energy spectra, and second-order structure functions are obtained from 2D PIV and are used to characterize the turbulence from the integral-to-the Kolmogorov scales. Several metrics are defined to quantify how well zero-mean-flow homogeneous turbulence is approximated for a wide range of forcing and geometric parameters. With increasing jet firing time duration, both the velocity fluctuations and the integral length scales are augmented and therefore the Reynolds number is increased. We reach a Taylor-microscale Reynolds number of 470, a large-scale Reynolds number of 74,000, and an integral-to-Kolmogorov length scale ratio of 680. The volume of the present homogeneous turbulence, the largest reported to date in a zero-mean-flow facility, is much larger than the integral length scale, allowing for the natural development of the energy cascade. The turbulence is found to be anisotropic irrespective of the distance between the jet arrays. Fine grids placed in front of the jets are effective at modulating the turbulence, reducing both velocity fluctuations and integral scales. Varying the jet-to-jet spacing within each array has no effect on the integral length scale, suggesting that this is dictated by the length scale of the jets.

  19. Dual actuation micro-mirrors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alneamy, A. M.; Khater, M. E.; Al-Ghamdi, M. S.; Park, S.; Heppler, G. R.; Abdel-Rahman, E. M.

    2018-07-01

    This paper investigates the performance of cantilever-type micro-mirrors under electromagnetic, electrostatic and dual actuation. We developed and validated a two-DOFs model of the coupled bending-torsion motions of the mirror and used it in conjunction with experiments in air and in vacuum to compare all three actuation methods. We found that electromagnetic actuation is the most effective delivering a scanning range of  ± out of a geometrically allowable range of  ± at a current amplitude i  =  3 mA and a magnetic field of B  =  30 mT. Electrostatic actuation, whether alone or in conjunction with electromagnetic actuation, limited the stable angular range to smaller values (as small as ) due to the presence of spurious piston motions. This is an innate characteristic of micro-scale electrostatic actuation, the electrostatic force and the undesirable piston motion grow faster than the electrostatic torque and the desired angular displacement as the voltage is increased and they limit the stable angular range. Finally, we found that the dual actuation can be used to design two-DOF mirrors where electromagnetic actuation drives angular motion for optical beam steering and electrostatic actuation drives piston motion to control the mirror focus.

  20. Computations of Combustion-Powered Actuation for Dynamic Stall Suppression

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jee, Solkeun; Bowles, Patrick O.; Matalanis, Claude G.; Min, Byung-Young; Wake, Brian E.; Crittenden, Tom; Glezer, Ari

    2016-01-01

    A computational framework for the simulation of dynamic stall suppression with combustion-powered actuation (COMPACT) is validated against wind tunnel experimental results on a VR-12 airfoil. COMPACT slots are located at 10% chord from the leading edge of the airfoil and directed tangentially along the suction-side surface. Helicopter rotor-relevant flow conditions are used in the study. A computationally efficient two-dimensional approach, based on unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS), is compared in detail against the baseline and the modified airfoil with COMPACT, using aerodynamic forces, pressure profiles, and flow-field data. The two-dimensional RANS approach predicts baseline static and dynamic stall very well. Most of the differences between the computational and experimental results are within two standard deviations of the experimental data. The current framework demonstrates an ability to predict COMPACT efficacy across the experimental dataset. Enhanced aerodynamic lift on the downstroke of the pitching cycle due to COMPACT is well predicted, and the cycleaveraged lift enhancement computed is within 3% of the test data. Differences with experimental data are discussed with a focus on three-dimensional features not included in the simulations and the limited computational model for COMPACT.

  1. Powerful Electromechanical Linear Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cowan, John R.; Myers, William N.

    1994-01-01

    Powerful electromechanical linear actuator designed to replace hydraulic actuator that provides incremental linear movements to large object and holds its position against heavy loads. Electromechanical actuator cleaner and simpler, and needs less maintenance. Two principal innovative features that distinguish new actuator are use of shaft-angle resolver as source of position feedback to electronic control subsystem and antibacklash gearing arrangement.

  2. Self-Latching Piezocomposite Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkie, William K. (Inventor); Lynch, Christopher S. (Inventor); Bryant, Robert G. (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    A self-latching piezocomposite actuator includes a plurality of shape memory ceramic fibers. The actuator can be latched by applying an electrical field to the shape memory ceramic fibers. The actuator remains in a latched state/shape after the electrical field is no longer present. A reverse polarity electric field may be applied to reset the actuator to its unlatched state/shape. Applied electric fields may be utilized to provide a plurality of latch states between the latched and unlatched states of the actuator. The self-latching piezocomposite actuator can be used for active/adaptive airfoils having variable camber, trim tabs, active/deformable engine inlets, adaptive or adjustable vortex generators, active optical components such as mirrors that change shapes, and other morphing structures.

  3. Bimorphic polymeric photomechanical actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sarkisov, Sergey S. (Inventor); Curley, Michael J. (Inventor); Adamovsky, Grigory (Inventor); Sarkisov, Jr., Sergey S. (Inventor); Fields, Aisha B. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    A bimorphic polymeric photomechanical actuator, in one embodiment using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a photosensitive body, transmitting light over fiber optic cables, and controlling the shape and pulse duration of the light pulse to control movement of the actuator. Multiple light beams are utilized to generate different ranges of motion for the actuator from a single photomechanical body and alternative designs use multiple light beams and multiple photomechanical bodies to provide controlled movement. Actuator movement using one or more ranges of motion is utilized to control motion to position an actuating element in three dimensional space.

  4. Control of supersonic axisymmetric base flows using passive splitter plates and pulsed plasma actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reedy, Todd Mitchell

    influenced considerably, the area-integrated pressure was only slightly affected. Normalized RMS levels indicate that base pressure fluctuations were significantly reduced with the addition of the splitter plates. Power-spectral-density estimates revealed a spectral broadening of fluctuating energy for the 1/2 cylinder configuration and a bimodal distribution for the 1/3 and 1/4 cylinder configurations. It was concluded that the recirculation region is not the most sensitive location to apply flow control; rather, the shear layer may be a more influential site for implementing flow control methodologies. For active flow control, pulsed plasma-driven fluidic actuators were investigated. Initially, the performance of two plasma actuator designs was characterized to determine their potential as supersonic flow control devices. For the first actuator considered, the pulsed plasma jet, electro-thermal heating from an electric discharge heats and pressurizes gas in a small cavity which is exhausted through a circular orifice forming a synthetic jet. Depending on the electrical energy addition, peak jet velocities ranged between 130 to nearly 500 m/s when exhausted to quiescent, ambient conditions. The second plasma actuator investigated is the localized arc filament plasma actuator (LAFPA), which created fluidic perturbations through the rapid, local thermal heating, generated from an electric arc discharge between two electrodes within a shallow open cavity. Electrical and emission properties of the LAFPA were first documented as a function of pressure in a quiescent, no-flow environment. Rotational and vibrational temperatures from N2 spectra were obtained for select plasma conditions and ambient pressures. Results further validate that the assumption of optically thin conditions for these electric arc plasmas is not necessary valid, even at low ambient pressure. Breakdown voltage, sustained plasma voltage, power, and energy per pulse were demonstrated to decrease with

  5. Effects of Tangential Edge Constraints on the Postbuckling Behavior of Flat and Curved Panels Subjected to Thermal and Mechanical Loads

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, W.; Librescu, L.; Nemeth, M. P.; Starnes, J. H. , Jr.

    1994-01-01

    A parametric study of the effects of tangential edge constraints on the postbuckling response of flat and shallow curved panels subjected to thermal and mechanical loads is presented. The mechanical loads investigated are uniform compressive edge loads and transverse lateral pressure. The temperature fields considered are associated with spatially nonuniform heating over the panels, and a linear through-the-thickness temperature gradient. The structural model is based on a higher-order transverse-shear-deformation theory of shallow shells that incorporates the effects of geometric nonlinearities, initial geometric imperfections, and tangential edge motion constraints. Results are presented for three-layer sandwich panels made from transversely isotropic materials. Simply supported panels are considered in which the tangential motion of the unloaded edges is either unrestrained, partially restrained, or fully restrained. These results focus on the effects of the tangential edge restraint on the postbuckling response. The results of this study indicate that tangentially restraining the edges of a curved panel can make the panel insensitive to initial geometric imperfections in some cases.

  6. Numerical simulation and sensitivity analysis of a low-Reynolds-number flow around a square cylinder controlled using plasma actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anzai, Yosuke; Fukagata, Koji; Meliga, Philippe; Boujo, Edouard; Gallaire, François

    2017-04-01

    Flow around a square cylinder controlled using plasma actuators (PAs) is numerically investigated by direct numerical simulation in order to clarify the most effective location of actuator installation and to elucidate the mechanism of control effect. The Reynolds number based on the cylinder diameter and the free-stream velocity is set to be 100 to study the fundamental effect of PAs on two-dimensional vortex shedding, and three different locations of PAs are considered. The mean drag and the root-mean-square of lift fluctuations are found to be reduced by 51% and 99% in the case where two opposing PAs are aligned vertically on the rear surface. In that case, a jet flow similar to a base jet is generated by the collision of the streaming flows induced by the two opposing PAs, and the vortex shedding is completely suppressed. The simulation results are ultimately revisited in the frame of linear sensitivity analysis, whose computational cost is much lower than that of performing the full simulation. A good agreement is reported for low control amplitudes, which allows further discussion of the linear optimal arrangement for any number of PAs.

  7. Fast electrochemical actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uvarov, I. V.; Postnikov, A. V.; Svetovoy, V. B.

    2016-03-01

    Lack of fast and strong microactuators is a well-recognized problem in MEMS community. Electrochemical actuators can develop high pressure but they are notoriously slow. Water electrolysis produced by short voltage pulses of alternating polarity can overcome the problem of slow gas termination. Here we demonstrate an actuation regime, for which the gas pressure is relaxed just for 10 μs or so. The actuator consists of a microchamber filled with the electrolyte and covered with a flexible membrane. The membrane bends outward when the pressure in the chamber increases. Fast termination of gas and high pressure developed in the chamber are related to a high density of nanobubbles in the chamber. The physical processes happening in the chamber are discussed so as problems that have to be resolved for practical applications of this actuation regime. The actuator can be used as a driving engine for microfluidics.

  8. Remote switch actuator

    DOEpatents

    Haas, Edwin Gerard; Beauman, Ronald; Palo, Jr., Stefan

    2013-01-29

    The invention provides a device and method for actuating electrical switches remotely. The device is removably attached to the switch and is actuated through the transfer of a user's force. The user is able to remain physically removed from the switch site obviating need for protective equipment. The device and method allow rapid, safe actuation of high-voltage or high-current carrying electrical switches or circuit breakers.

  9. Uncertainties in estimating heart doses from 2D-tangential breast cancer radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Lorenzen, Ebbe L; Brink, Carsten; Taylor, Carolyn W; Darby, Sarah C; Ewertz, Marianne

    2016-04-01

    We evaluated the accuracy of three methods of estimating radiation dose to the heart from two-dimensional tangential radiotherapy for breast cancer, as used in Denmark during 1982-2002. Three tangential radiotherapy regimens were reconstructed using CT-based planning scans for 40 patients with left-sided and 10 with right-sided breast cancer. Setup errors and organ motion were simulated using estimated uncertainties. For left-sided patients, mean heart dose was related to maximum heart distance in the medial field. For left-sided breast cancer, mean heart dose estimated from individual CT-scans varied from <1Gy to >8Gy, and maximum dose from 5 to 50Gy for all three regimens, so that estimates based only on regimen had substantial uncertainty. When maximum heart distance was taken into account, the uncertainty was reduced and was comparable to the uncertainty of estimates based on individual CT-scans. For right-sided breast cancer patients, mean heart dose based on individual CT-scans was always <1Gy and maximum dose always <5Gy for all three regimens. The use of stored individual simulator films provides a method for estimating heart doses in left-tangential radiotherapy for breast cancer that is almost as accurate as estimates based on individual CT-scans. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  10. Digital Actuator Technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ken Thomas; Ted Quinn; Jerry Mauck

    There are significant developments underway in new types of actuators for power plant active components. Many of these make use of digital technology to provide a wide array of benefits in performance of the actuators and in reduced burden to maintain them. These new product offerings have gained considerable acceptance in use in process plants. In addition, they have been used in conventional power generation very successfully. This technology has been proven to deliver the benefits promised and substantiate the claims of improved performance. The nuclear industry has been reluctant to incorporate digital actuator technology into nuclear plant designs duemore » to concerns due to a number of concerns. These could be summarized as cost, regulatory uncertainty, and a certain comfort factor with legacy analog technology. The replacement opportunity for these types of components represents a decision point for whether to invest in more modern technology that would provide superior operational and maintenance benefits. Yet, the application of digital technology has been problematic for the nuclear industry, due to qualification and regulatory issues. With some notable exceptions, the result has been a continuing reluctance to undertake the risks and uncertainties of implementing digital actuator technology when replacement opportunities present themselves. Rather, utilities would typically prefer to accept the performance limitations of the legacy analog actuator technologies to avoid impacts to project costs and schedules. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate that the benefits of digital actuator technology can be significant in terms of plant performance and that it is worthwhile to address the barriers currently holding back the widespread development and use of this technology. It addresses two important objectives in pursuit of the beneficial use of digital actuator technology for nuclear power plants: 1. To demonstrate the benefits of digital actuator

  11. Light-Driven Polymeric Bimorph Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adamovsky, Gregory; Sarkisov, Sergey S.; Curley, Michael J.

    2009-01-01

    Light-driven polymeric bimorph actuators are being developed as alternatives to prior electrically and optically driven actuators in advanced, highly miniaturized devices and systems exemplified by microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), micro-electro-optical-mechanical systems (MEOMS), and sensor and actuator arrays in smart structures. These light-driven polymeric bimorph actuators are intended to satisfy a need for actuators that (1) in comparison with the prior actuators, are simpler and less power-hungry; (2) can be driven by low-power visible or mid-infrared light delivered through conventional optic fibers; and (3) are suitable for integration with optical sensors and multiple actuators of the same or different type. The immediate predecessors of the present light-driven polymeric bimorph actuators are bimorph actuators that exploit a photorestrictive effect in lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics. The disadvantages of the PLZT-based actuators are that (1) it is difficult to shape the PLZT ceramics, which are hard and brittle; (2) for actuation, it is necessary to use ultraviolet light (wavelengths < 380 nm), which must be generated by use of high-power, high-pressure arc lamps or lasers; (3) it is difficult to deliver sufficient ultraviolet light through conventional optical fibers because of significant losses in the fibers; (4) the response times of the PLZT actuators are of the order of several seconds unacceptably long for typical applications; and (5) the maximum mechanical displacements of the PLZT-based actuators are limited to those characterized by low strains beyond which PLZT ceramics disintegrate because of their brittleness. The basic element of a light-driven bimorph actuator of the present developmental type is a cantilever beam comprising two layers, at least one of which is a polymer that exhibits a photomechanical effect (see figure). The dominant mechanism of the photomechanical effect is a photothermal one: absorption of

  12. Cylindrical Piezoelectric Fiber Composite Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allison, Sidney G.; Shams, Qamar A.; Fox, Robert L.

    2008-01-01

    The use of piezoelectric devices has become widespread since Pierre and Jacques Curie discovered the piezoelectric effect in 1880. Examples of current applications of piezoelectric devices include ultrasonic transducers, micro-positioning devices, buzzers, strain sensors, and clocks. The invention of such lightweight, relatively inexpensive piezoceramic-fiber-composite actuators as macro fiber composite (MFC) actuators has made it possible to obtain strains and displacements greater than those that could be generated by prior actuators based on monolithic piezoceramic sheet materials. MFC actuators are flat, flexible actuators designed for bonding to structures to apply or detect strains. Bonding multiple layers of MFC actuators together could increase force capability, but not strain or displacement capability. Cylindrical piezoelectric fiber composite (CPFC) actuators have been invented as alternatives to MFC actuators for applications in which greater forces and/or strains or displacements may be required. In essence, a CPFC actuator is an MFC or other piezoceramic fiber composite actuator fabricated in a cylindrical instead of its conventional flat shape. Cylindrical is used here in the general sense, encompassing shapes that can have circular, elliptical, rectangular or other cross-sectional shapes in the planes perpendicular to their longitudinal axes.

  13. Dynamic actuation of a novel laser-processed NiTi linear actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pequegnat, A.; Daly, M.; Wang, J.; Zhou, Y.; Khan, M. I.

    2012-09-01

    A novel laser processing technique, capable of locally modifying the shape memory effect, was applied to enhance the functionality of a NiTi linear actuator. By altering local transformation temperatures, an additional memory was imparted into a monolithic NiTi wire to enable dynamic actuation via controlled resistive heating. Characterizations of the actuator load, displacement and cyclic properties were conducted using a custom-built spring-biased test set-up. Monotonic tensile testing was also implemented to characterize the deformation behaviour of the martensite phase. Observed differences in the deformation behaviour of laser-processed material were found to affect the magnitude of the active strain. Furthermore, residual strain during cyclic actuation testing was found to stabilize after 150 cycles while the recoverable strain remained constant. This laser-processed actuator will allow for the realization of new applications and improved control methods for shape memory alloys.

  14. T-Slide Linear Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vranish, John

    2009-01-01

    T-slide linear actuators use gear bearing differential epicyclical transmissions (GBDETs) to directly drive a linear rack, which, in turn, performs the actuation. Conventional systems use a rotary power source in conjunction with a nut and screw to provide linear motion. Non-back-drive properties of GBDETs make the new actuator more direct and simpler. Versions of this approach will serve as a long-stroke, ultra-precision, position actuator for NASA science instruments, and as a rugged, linear actuator for NASA deployment duties. The T slide can operate effectively in the presence of side forces and torques. Versions of the actuator can perform ultra-precision positioning. A basic T-slide actuator is a long-stroke, rack-and-pinion linear actuator that, typically, consists of a T-slide, several idlers, a transmission to drive the slide (powered by an electric motor) and a housing that holds the entire assembly. The actuator is driven by gear action on its top surface, and is guided and constrained by gear-bearing idlers on its other two parallel surfaces. The geometry, implemented with gear-bearing technology, is particularly effective. An electronic motor operating through a GBDET can directly drive the T slide against large loads, as a rack and pinion linear actuator, with no break and no danger of back driving. The actuator drives the slide into position and stops. The slide holes position with power off and no brake, regardless of load. With the T slide configuration, this GBDET has an entire T-gear surface on which to operate. The GB idlers coupling the other two T slide parallel surfaces to their housing counterpart surfaces provide constraints in five degrees-of-freedom and rolling friction in the direction of actuation. Multiple GB idlers provide roller bearing strength sufficient to support efficient, rolling friction movement, even in the presence of large, resisting forces. T-slide actuators can be controlled using the combination of an off

  15. Fabrication and actuation of electro-active polymer actuator based on PSMI-incorporated PVDF

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Jun; Kim, Sang-Gyun; Lee, Sunwoo; Oh, Il-Kwon

    2008-08-01

    In this study, an ionic networking membrane (INM) of poly(styrene-alt-maleimide) (PSMI)-incorporated poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was applied to fabricate electro-active polymer. Based on the same original membrane of PSMI-incorporated PVDF, various samples of INM actuator were prepared for different reduction times with the electroless-plating technique. The as-prepared INM actuators were tested in terms of surface resistance, platinum morphology, resonance frequency, tip displacement, current and blocked force, and their performances were compared to those of the widely used traditional Nafion actuator. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that much smaller and more uniform platinum particles were formed on the surfaces of the INM actuators as well as within their polymer matrix. Although excellent harmonic responses were observed for the newly developed INM actuators, they were found to be sensitive to the applied reduction times during the fabrication. The mechanical displacement of the INM actuator fabricated after the optimum reduction times was much larger than that of its Nafion counterpart of comparable thickness under the stimulus of constant and alternating current voltage. The PSMI-incorporated PVDF actuator can become a promising smart material to be used in the fields of biomimetic robots, biomedical devices, sensors and actuator, haptic interfaces, energy harvesting and so on.

  16. Flexure-based nanomagnetic actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vasquez, Daniel James

    Nanometer-scale actuators powered through applied-magnetic fields have been designed, fabricated, and tested. These actuators consist of one or more ferromagnetic elements attached to a mechanical flexure. Two types of flexures were studied including a cantilever beam that is fixed on one end, and free on the other. The free end of the cantilever is attached to a, ferromagnetic element allowing a bending torque to be applied by a magnetic field. The second type of actuator design uses a set of torsion beams that are each anchored on one end, and attached to the magnetic element on the other end. The torsion beams are designed such that the application of a magnetic field will result in a twist along the long axis of the beam with little to no bending. The smallest fabricated and tested device is a cantilever-based ferromagnetic actuator that consists of a single 1.5-mum-long, 338-nm-wide, and 50-nm-thick nickel element, and a 2.2-mum-long, 110-nm-wide, and 30-nm-thick gold cantilever beam. A deflection of over 17° was measured for this actuator, while a similar one with a 10.1-mum long cantilever beam experienced measured deflections up to 57°. Torsion-based ferromagnetic actuators have been fabricated and tested with 110-nm-wide, and 50-rim-thick magnetic elements. Such magnetic elements contain only a single saturated magnetic domain. The ultimate scalability of ferromagnetic actuation is limited by the ability of thermal noise to affect the temporal stability of a nanometer-scale magnet. Theory to describe thermal noise and ultimate scalability of the ferromagnetic actuators has been developed. The size of the ferromagnetic actuators studied in this manuscript are smaller than most plant and animal cells. This enables the possibility of such actuators to manipulate a, living cell on an intracellular level. Other potential applications of such small actuators include MHz, to GHz frequency resonators, and tunable optical filters.

  17. Engineering Design Tools for Shape Memory Alloy Actuators: CASMART Collaborative Best Practices and Case Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wheeler, Robert W.; Benafan, Othmane; Gao, Xiujie; Calkins, Frederick T; Ghanbari, Zahra; Hommer, Garrison; Lagoudas, Dimitris; Petersen, Andrew; Pless, Jennifer M.; Stebner, Aaron P.; hide

    2016-01-01

    The primary goal of the Consortium for the Advancement of Shape Memory Alloy Research and Technology (CASMART) is to enable the design of revolutionary applications based on shape memory alloy (SMA) technology. In order to help realize this goal and reduce the development time and required experience for the fabrication of SMA actuation systems, several modeling tools have been developed for common actuator types and are discussed herein along with case studies, which highlight the capabilities and limitations of these tools. Due to their ability to sustain high stresses and recover large deformations, SMAs have many potential applications as reliable, lightweight, solid-state actuators. Their advantage over classical actuators can also be further improved when the actuator geometry is modified to fit the specific application. In this paper, three common actuator designs are studied: wires, which are lightweight, low-profile, and easily implemented; springs, which offer actuation strokes upwards of 200 at reduced mechanical loads; and torque tubes, which can provide large actuation forces in small volumes and develop a repeatable zero-load actuation response (known as the two-way shape memory effect). The modeling frameworks, which have been implemented in the design tools, are developed for each of these frequently used SMA actuator types. In order to demonstrate the versatility and flexibility of the presented design tools, as well as validate their modeling framework, several design challenges were completed. These case studies include the design and development of an active hinge for the deployment of a solar array or foldable space structure, an adaptive solar array deployment and positioning system, a passive air temperature controller for regulation flow temperatures inside of a jet engine, and a redesign of the Corvette active hatch, which allows for pressure equalization of the car interior. For each of the presented case studies, a prototype or proof

  18. Tendon Driven Finger Actuation System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Reich, David M. (Inventor); Bridgwater, Lyndon (Inventor); Linn, Douglas Martin (Inventor); Askew, Scott R. (Inventor); Diftler, Myron A. (Inventor); Platt, Robert (Inventor); Hargrave, Brian (Inventor); Valvo, Michael C. (Inventor); Abdallah, Muhammad E. (Inventor); hide

    2013-01-01

    A humanoid robot includes a robotic hand having at least one finger. An actuation system for the robotic finger includes an actuator assembly which is supported by the robot and is spaced apart from the finger. A tendon extends from the actuator assembly to the at least one finger and ends in a tendon terminator. The actuator assembly is operable to actuate the tendon to move the tendon terminator and, thus, the finger.

  19. Nonlinear interaction of a fast magnetogasdynamic shock with a tangential discontinuity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neubauer, F. M.

    1973-01-01

    A basic problem, which is of considerable interest in geoastrophysical applications of magnetogasdynamics, is the nonlinear interaction of a fast shock (S sub f) with a tangential discontinuity (T). The problem is treated for an arbitrary S sub f interacting with an arbitrary T under the assumption that in the frame of reference in which S sub f and T are at rest, the flow is superfast on both sides of T, and that a steady flow develops. As a result of the nonlinear analysis a flow pattern is obtained consisting of the incident discontinuities S sub f 1 and T2 and a transmitted fast shock S sub f 3, the modified tangential discontinuity T4 and a reflected fast shock S sub f 5 or fast rarefaction wave R sub f 5. The results are discussed in terms of seven significant similarity parameters. In addition special cases like changes in magnetic field direction only, changes in desnity or velocity shear only etc. are discussed.

  20. Electrostatically Driven Nanoballoon Actuator.

    PubMed

    Barzegar, Hamid Reza; Yan, Aiming; Coh, Sinisa; Gracia-Espino, Eduardo; Dunn, Gabriel; Wågberg, Thomas; Louie, Steven G; Cohen, Marvin L; Zettl, Alex

    2016-11-09

    We demonstrate an inflatable nanoballoon actuator based on geometrical transitions between the inflated (cylindrical) and collapsed (flattened) forms of a carbon nanotube. In situ transmission electron microscopy experiments employing a nanoelectromechanical manipulator show that a collapsed carbon nanotube can be reinflated by electrically charging the nanotube, thus realizing an electrostatically driven nanoballoon actuator. We find that the tube actuator can be reliably cycled with only modest control voltages (few volts) with no apparent wear or fatigue. A complementary theoretical analysis identifies critical parameters for nanotube nanoballoon actuation.

  1. Droplet condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces with enhanced dewetting under a tangential AC electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Xinzhu; Li, Jian; Li, Licheng; Huang, Zhengyong; Wang, Feipeng; Wei, Yuan

    2016-10-01

    In this Letter, the dewetting behavior of superhydrophobic condensing surfaces under a tangential AC electric field is reported. The surface coverage of condensed droplets only exhibits a negligible increase with time. The jumping frequency of droplets is enhanced. The AC electric field motivates the dynamic transition of droplets from stretch to recoil, resulting in the counterforce propelling droplet jumping. The considerable horizontal component of jumping velocity facilitates droplet departure from superhydrophobic surfaces. Both the amplitude and frequency of AC voltage are important factors for droplet departure and dewetting effect. Thereby, the tangential electric field provides a unique and easily implementable approach to enhance droplet removal from superhydrophobic condensing surfaces.

  2. A road to practical dielectric elastomer actuators based robotics and mechatronics: discrete actuation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plante, Jean-Sébastien; Devita, Lauren M.; Dubowsky, Steven

    2007-04-01

    Fundamental studies of Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) using viscoelastic materials such as VHB 4905/4910 from 3M showed significant advantages at high stretch rates. The film's viscous forces increase actuator life and the short power-on times minimize energy losses through current leakage. This paper presents a design paradigm that exploits these fundamental properties of DEAs called discrete actuation. Discrete actuation uses DEAs at high stretch rates to change the states of robotic or mechatronic systems in discrete steps. Each state of the system is stable and can be maintained without actuator power. Discrete actuation can be used in robotic and mechatronic applications such as manipulation and locomotion. The resolution of such systems increases with the number of discrete states, 10 to 100 being sufficient for many applications. An MRI-guided needle positioning device for cancer treatments and a space exploration robot using hopping for locomotion are presented as examples of this concept.

  3. Active Joint Mechanism Driven by Multiple Actuators Made of Flexible Bags: A Proposal of Dual Structural Actuator

    PubMed Central

    Inou, Norio

    2013-01-01

    An actuator is required to change its speed and force depending on the situation. Using multiple actuators for one driving axis is one of the possible solutions; however, there is an associated problem of output power matching. This study proposes a new active joint mechanism using multiple actuators. Because the actuator is made of a flexible bag, it does not interfere with other actuators when it is depressurized. The proposed joint achieved coordinated motion of multiple actuators. This report also discusses a new actuator which has dual cylindrical structure. The cylinders are composed of flexible bags with different diameters. The joint torque is estimated based on the following factors: empirical formula for the flexible actuator torque, geometric relationship between the joint and the actuator, and the principle of virtual work. The prototype joint mechanism achieves coordinated motion of multiple actuators for one axis. With this motion, small inner actuator contributes high speed motion, whereas large outer actuator generates high torque. The performance of the prototype joint is examined by speed and torque measurements. The joint showed about 30% efficiency at 2.0 Nm load torque under 0.15 MPa air input. PMID:24385868

  4. Active joint mechanism driven by multiple actuators made of flexible bags: a proposal of dual structural actuator.

    PubMed

    Kimura, Hitoshi; Matsuzaki, Takuya; Kataoka, Mokutaro; Inou, Norio

    2013-01-01

    An actuator is required to change its speed and force depending on the situation. Using multiple actuators for one driving axis is one of the possible solutions; however, there is an associated problem of output power matching. This study proposes a new active joint mechanism using multiple actuators. Because the actuator is made of a flexible bag, it does not interfere with other actuators when it is depressurized. The proposed joint achieved coordinated motion of multiple actuators. This report also discusses a new actuator which has dual cylindrical structure. The cylinders are composed of flexible bags with different diameters. The joint torque is estimated based on the following factors: empirical formula for the flexible actuator torque, geometric relationship between the joint and the actuator, and the principle of virtual work. The prototype joint mechanism achieves coordinated motion of multiple actuators for one axis. With this motion, small inner actuator contributes high speed motion, whereas large outer actuator generates high torque. The performance of the prototype joint is examined by speed and torque measurements. The joint showed about 30% efficiency at 2.0 Nm load torque under 0.15 MPa air input.

  5. Active Control of Jets in Cross-Flow for Film Cooling Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nikitopoulos, Dimitris E.

    2003-01-01

    Jets in cross-flow have applications in film cooling of gas turbine vanes, blades and combustor liners. Their cooling effectiveness depends on the extent to which the cool jet-fluid adheres to the cooled component surface. Lift-off of the cooling jet flow or other mechanisms promoting mixing, cause loss of cooling effectiveness as they allow the hot "free-stream" fluid to come in contact with the component surface. The premise of this project is that cooling effectiveness can be improved by actively controlling (e.9. forcing, pulsing) the jet flow. Active control can be applied to prevent/delay lift-off and suppress mixing. Furthermore, an actively controlled film-cooling system coupled with appropriate sensory input (e.g. temperature or heat flux) can adapt to spatial and temporal variations of the hot-gas path. Thus, it is conceivable that the efficiency of film-cooling systems can be improved, resulting in coolant fluid economy. It is envisioned that Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) will play a role in the realization of such systems. As a first step, a feasibility study will be conducted to evaluate the concept, identify actuation and sensory elements and develop a control strategy. Part of this study will be the design of a proof-of-concept experiment and collection of necessary data.

  6. Enhanced Actuation Performance and Reduced Heat Generation in Shear-Bending Mode Actuator at High Temperature.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jianguo; Liu, Guoxi; Cheng, Jinrong; Dong, Shuxiang

    2016-08-01

    The actuation performance, strain hysteresis, and heat generation of the shear-bending mode actuators based on soft and hard BiScO3-PbTiO3 (BS-PT) ceramics were investigated under different thermal (from room temperature to 300 °C) and electrical loadings (from 2 to 10 kV/cm and from 1 to 1000 Hz). The actuator based on both soft and hard BS-PT ceramics worked stably at the temperature as high as 300 °C. The maximum working temperature of this shear-bending actuators is 150 °C higher than those of the traditional piezoelectric actuators based on commercial Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 materials. Furthermore, although the piezoelectric properties of soft-type ceramics based on BS-PT ceramics were superior to those of hard ceramics, the maximum displacement of the actuator based on hard ceramics was larger than that fabricated by soft ceramics at high temperature. The maximum displacement of the actuator based on hard ceramics was [Formula: see text] under an applied electric field of 10 kV/cm at 300 °C. The strain hysteresis and heat generation of the actuator based on hard ceramics was smaller than those of the actuator based on soft ceramics in the wide temperature range. These results indicated that the shear-bending actuator based on hard piezoelectric ceramics was more suitable for high-temperature piezoelectric applications.

  7. Torsional actuation with extension-torsion composite coupling and a magnetostrictive actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bothwell, Christopher M.; Chandra, Ramesh; Chopra, Inderjit

    1995-04-01

    An analytical-experimental study of using magnetostrictive actuators in conjunction with an extension-torsion coupled composite tube to actuate a rotor blade trailing-edge flap to actively control helicopter vibration is presented. Thin walled beam analysis based on Vlasov theory was used to predict the induced twist and extension in a composite tube with magnetostrictive actuation. The study achieved good correlation between theory and experiment. The Kevlar-epoxy systems showed good correlation between measured and predicted twist values.

  8. Biomimetic photo-actuation: sensing, control and actuation in sun-tracking plants.

    PubMed

    Dicker, M P M; Rossiter, J M; Bond, I P; Weaver, P M

    2014-09-01

    Although the actuation mechanisms that drive plant movement have been investigated from a biomimetic perspective, few studies have looked at the wider sensing and control systems that regulate this motion. This paper examines photo-actuation-actuation induced by, and controlled with light-through a review of the sun-tracking functions of the Cornish Mallow. The sun-tracking movement of the Cornish Mallow leaf results from an extraordinarily complex-yet extremely elegant-process of signal perception, generation, filtering and control. Inspired by this process, a concept for a simplified biomimetic analogue of this leaf is proposed: a multifunctional structure employing chemical sensing, signal transmission, and control of composite hydrogel actuators. We present this multifunctional structure, and show that the success of the concept will require improved selection of materials and structural design. This device has application in the solar-tracking of photovoltaic panels for increased energy yield. More broadly it is envisaged that the concept of chemical sensing and control can be expanded beyond photo-actuation to many other stimuli, resulting in new classes of robust solid-state devices.

  9. Active Noise Control of Radiated Noise from Jets Originating NASA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Doty, Michael J.; Fuller, Christopher R.; Schiller, Noah H.; Turner, Travis L.

    2013-01-01

    The reduction of jet noise using a closed-loop active noise control system with highbandwidth active chevrons was investigated. The high frequency energy introduced by piezoelectrically-driven chevrons was demonstrated to achieve a broadband reduction of jet noise, presumably due to the suppression of large-scale turbulence. For a nozzle with one active chevron, benefits of up to 0.8 dB overall sound pressure level (OASPL) were observed compared to a static chevron nozzle near the maximum noise emission angle, and benefits of up to 1.9 dB OASPL were observed compared to a baseline nozzle with no chevrons. The closed-loop actuation system was able to effectively reduce noise at select frequencies by 1-3 dB. However, integrated OASPL did not indicate further reduction beyond the open-loop benefits, most likely due to the preliminary controller design, which was focused on narrowband performance.

  10. Meninges control tangential migration of hem-derived Cajal-Retzius cells via CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling.

    PubMed

    Borrell, Víctor; Marín, Oscar

    2006-10-01

    Cajal-Retzius cells are critical in the development of the cerebral cortex, but little is known about the mechanisms controlling their development. Three focal sources of Cajal-Retzius cells have been identified in mice-the cortical hem, the ventral pallium and the septum-from where they migrate tangentially to populate the cortical surface. Using a variety of tissue culture assays and in vivo manipulations, we demonstrate that the tangential migration of cortical hem-derived Cajal-Retzius cells is controlled by the meninges. We show that the meningeal membranes are a necessary and sufficient substrate for the tangential migration of Cajal-Retzius cells. We also show that the chemokine CXCL12 secreted by the meninges enhances the dispersion of Cajal-Retzius cells along the cortical surface, while retaining them within the marginal zone in a CXCR4-dependent manner. Thus, the meningeal membranes are fundamental in the development of Cajal-Retzius cells and, hence, in the normal development of the cerebral cortex.

  11. Telescoping cylindrical piezoelectric fiber composite actuator assemblies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allison, Sidney G. (Inventor); Shams, Qamar A. (Inventor); Fox, Robert L. (Inventor); Fox, legal representative, Christopher L. (Inventor); Fox Chattin, legal representative, Melanie L. (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    A telescoping actuator assembly includes a plurality of cylindrical actuators in a concentric arrangement. Each cylindrical actuator is at least one piezoelectric fiber composite actuator having a plurality of piezoelectric fibers extending parallel to one another and to the concentric arrangement's longitudinal axis. Each cylindrical actuator is coupled to concentrically-adjacent ones of the cylindrical actuators such that the plurality of cylindrical actuators can experience telescopic movement. An electrical energy source coupled to the cylindrical actuators applies actuation energy thereto to generate the telescopic movement.

  12. Microhydraulic Electrowetting Actuators

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-06-26

    inkjet  printers4, and microrobots5 tend to use other  forms of actuation.   The alternatives can be widely divided  into  resistive and capacitive...actuators, based on  the primary  impedance mode.   Some examples of  resistive actuators are  thermal  inkjet  printers, electro‐osmotic pumps6, and shape

  13. AMSD Cryo Actuator Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mullette, Mark; Matthews, Gary; Russell, Kevin (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The actuator technology required for AMSD and subsequently NGST are critical in the successful development for future cryogenic systems. Kodak has undertaken an extensive test plan to determine the performance of the force actuators developed under the AMSD program. These actuators are currently in testing at MSFC and are expected to finish this test cycle in early June 2002.

  14. Pulsed-DC DBD Plasma Actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duong, Alan; Corke, Thomas; Thomas, Flint

    2017-11-01

    A power system for dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators that utilizes a pulsed-DC waveform is presented. The plasma actuator arrangement is identical to most typical AC-DBD designs with staggered electrodes that are separated by a dielectric insulator. A key difference is that the pulsed-DC actuator utilizes a DC voltage source to drive the actuator instead of an AC voltage input. The DC source is supplied to both electrodes. The exposed electrode remains constant in time while the encapsulated electrode is periodically grounded for short instances then is allowed to rise to the source DC level. Further investigation of the pulsed-DC plasma actuator was conducted. Time-resolved velocity measurements were done to characterize the induced velocity field generated by the pulsed-DC plasma actuator. A model of the pulsed-DC plasma actuator is developed in LTspice for further study. The work presented are intended in developing a model to be used in CFD flow control simulations. NASA SBIR NNX14CC12C.

  15. Lifetime of dielectric elastomer stack actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lotz, Peter; Matysek, Marc; Schlaak, Helmut F.

    2011-04-01

    Dielectric elastomer stack actuators (DESA) are well suited for the use in mobile devices, fluidic applications and small electromechanical systems. Despite many improvements during the last years the long term behavior of dielectric elastomer actuators in general is not known or has not been published. The first goal of the study is to characterize the overall lifetime under laboratory conditions and to identify potential factors influencing lifetime. For this we have designed a test setup to examine 16 actuators at once. The actuators are subdivided into 4 groups each with a separate power supply and driving signal. To monitor the performance of the actuators driving voltage and current are measured continuously and additionally, the amplitude of the deformations of each actuator is measured sequentially. From our first results we conclude that lifetime of these actuators is mainly influenced by the contact material between feeding line and multilayer electrodes. So far, actuators themselves are not affected by long term actuation. With the best contact material actuators can be driven for more than 2700 h at 200 Hz with an electrical field strength of 20 V/μm. This results in more than 3 billion cycles. Actually, there are further actuators driven at 10 Hz for more than 4000 hours and still working.

  16. Microprocessor controlled proof-mass actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Horner, Garnett C.

    1987-01-01

    The objective of the microprocessor controlled proof-mass actuator is to develop the capability to mount a small programmable device on laboratory models. This capability will allow research in the active control of flexible structures. The approach in developing the actuator will be to mount all components as a single unit. All sensors, electronic and control devices will be mounted with the actuator. The goal for the force output capability of the actuator will be one pound force. The programmable force actuator developed has approximately a one pound force capability over the usable frequency range, which is above 2 Hz.

  17. Electromechanical rotary actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, S. P.; Mcmahon, W. J.

    1995-01-01

    An electromechanical rotary actuator has been developed as the prime mover for a liquid oxygen modulation valve on the Centaur Vehicle Rocket Engine. The rotary actuator requirements, design, test, and associated problems and their solutions are discussed in this paper.

  18. Electromechanical rotary actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, S. P.; McMahon, W. J.

    1995-05-01

    An electromechanical rotary actuator has been developed as the prime mover for a liquid oxygen modulation valve on the Centaur Vehicle Rocket Engine. The rotary actuator requirements, design, test, and associated problems and their solutions are discussed in this paper.

  19. Dichotomy of Solar Coronal Jets: Standard Jets and Blowout Jets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, R. L.; Cirtain, J. W.; Sterling, A. C.; Falconer, D. A.

    2010-01-01

    By examining many X-ray jets in Hinode/XRT coronal X-ray movies of the polar coronal holes, we found that there is a dichotomy of polar X-ray jets. About two thirds fit the standard reconnection picture for coronal jets, and about one third are another type. We present observations indicating that the non-standard jets are counterparts of erupting-loop H alpha macrospicules, jets in which the jet-base magnetic arch undergoes a miniature version of the blowout eruptions that produce major CMEs. From the coronal X-ray movies we present in detail two typical standard X-ray jets and two typical blowout X-ray jets that were also caught in He II 304 Angstrom snapshots from STEREO/EUVI. The distinguishing features of blowout X-ray jets are (1) X-ray brightening inside the base arch in addition to the outside bright point that standard jets have, (2) blowout eruption of the base arch's core field, often carrying a filament of cool (T 10(exp 4) - 10(exp 5) K) plasma, and (3) an extra jet-spire strand rooted close to the bright point. We present cartoons showing how reconnection during blowout eruption of the base arch could produce the observed features of blowout X-ray jets. We infer that (1) the standard-jet/blowout-jet dichotomy of coronal jets results from the dichotomy of base arches that do not have and base arches that do have enough shear and twist to erupt open, and (2) there is a large class of spicules that are standard jets and a comparably large class of spicules that are blowout jets.

  20. Experimental analysis on the dynamic wake of an actuator disc undergoing transient loads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, W.; Hong, V. W.; Ferreira, C.; van Kuik, G. A. M.

    2017-10-01

    The Blade Element Momentum model, which is based on the actuator disc theory, is still the model most used for the design of open rotors. Although derived from steady cases with a fully developed wake, this approach is also applied to unsteady cases, with additional engineering corrections. This work aims to study the impact of an unsteady loading on the wake of an actuator disc. The load and flow of an actuator disc are measured in the Open Jet Facility wind tunnel of Delft University of Technology, for steady and unsteady cases. The velocity and turbulence profiles are characterized in three regions: the inner wake region, the shear layer region and the region outside the wake. For unsteady load cases, the measured velocity field shows a hysteresis effect in relation to the loading, showing differences between the cases when loading is increased and loading is decreased. The flow field also shows a transient response to the step change in loading, with either an overshoot or undershoot of the velocity in relation to the steady-state velocity. In general, a smaller reduced ramp time results in a faster velocity transient, and in turn a larger amplitude of overshoot or undershoot. Time constants analysis shows that the flow reaches the new steady-state slower for load increase than for load decrease; the time constants outside the wake are generally larger than at other radial locations for a given downstream plane; the time constants of measured velocity in the wake show radial dependence.The data are relevant for the validation of numerical models for unsteady actuator discs and wind turbines, and are made available in an open source database (see Appendix).

  1. Cruise and turning performance of an improved fish robot actuated by piezoceramic actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Quang Sang; Heo, Seok; Park, Hoon Cheol; Goo, Nam Seo; Byun, Doyoung

    2009-03-01

    The purpose of this study is improvement of a fish robot actuated by four light-weight piezocomposite actuators (LIPCAs). In the fish robot, we developed a new actuation mechanism working without any gear and thus the actuation mechanism was simple in fabrication. By using the new actuation mechanism, cross section of the fish robot became 30% smaller than that of the previous model. Performance tests of the fish robot in water were carried out to measure tail-beat angle, thrust force, swimming speed and turning radius for tail-beat frequencies from 1Hz to 5Hz. The maximum swimming speed of the fish robot was 7.7 cm/s at 3.9Hz tail-beat frequency. Turning experiment showed that swimming direction of the fish robot could be controlled with 0.41 m turning radius by controlling tail-beat angle.

  2. Recent developments on SMA actuators: predicting the actuation fatigue life for variable loading schemes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wheeler, Robert W.; Lagoudas, Dimitris C.

    2017-04-01

    Shape memory alloys (SMAs), due to their ability to repeatably recover substantial deformations under applied mechanical loading, have the potential to impact the aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and energy industries as weight and volume saving replacements for conventional actuators. While numerous applications of SMA actuators have been flight tested and can be found in industrial applications, these actuators are generally limited to non-critical components, are not widely implemented and frequently one-off designs, and are generally overdesigned due to a lack of understanding of the effect of the loading path on the fatigue life and the lack of an accurate method for predicting actuator lifetimes. In recent years, multiple research efforts have increased our understanding of the actuation fatigue process of SMAs. These advances can be utilized to predict the fatigue lives and failure loads in SMA actuators. Additionally, these prediction methods can be implemented in order to intelligently design actuators in accordance with their fatigue and failure limits. In the following paper, both simple and complex thermomechanical loading paths have been considered. Experimental data was utilized from two material systems: equiatomic Nickel-Titanium and Nickelrich Nickel-Titanium.

  3. Area-tunable micromirror based on electrowetting actuation of liquid-metal droplets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wan, Zhiliang; Zeng, Hongjun; Feinerman, Alan

    2006-11-01

    The authors report a micromirror device actuated by electrowetting effect. The micromirror surface is formed by a liquid-metal droplet jetted on a substrate and then topped with a parylene/Teflon coated indium tin oxide glass slide. The droplet is deformed by a voltage applied across the parylene/Teflon film. The radius of micromirror is tuned from 13μm (0V) to 88μm (90V), and the normalized area increases from 0.2 to 0.94 accordingly. The switching time ranges from 1ms for a 350μm diameter droplet to 0.2ms for a 50μm one. A 4×1 micromirror array is demonstrated and switched simultaneously.

  4. Electrothermally-Actuated Micromirrors with Bimorph Actuators--Bending-Type and Torsion-Type.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Cheng-Hua; Tsai, Chun-Wei; Chang, Hsu-Tang; Liu, Shih-Hsiang; Tsai, Jui-Che

    2015-06-22

    Three different electrothermally-actuated MEMS micromirrors with Cr/Au-Si bimorph actuators are proposed. The devices are fabricated with the SOIMUMPs process developed by MEMSCAP, Inc. (Durham, NC, USA). A silicon-on-insulator MEMS process has been employed for the fabrication of these micromirrors. Electrothermal actuation has achieved a large angular movement in the micromirrors. Application of an external electric current 0.04 A to the bending-type, restricted-torsion-type, and free-torsion-type mirrors achieved rotation angles of 1.69°, 3.28°, and 3.64°, respectively.

  5. Compact electrostatic comb actuator

    DOEpatents

    Rodgers, M. Steven; Burg, Michael S.; Jensen, Brian D.; Miller, Samuel L.; Barnes, Stephen M.

    2000-01-01

    A compact electrostatic comb actuator is disclosed for microelectromechanical (MEM) applications. The actuator is based upon a plurality of meshed electrostatic combs, some of which are stationary and others of which are moveable. One or more restoring springs are fabricated within an outline of the electrostatic combs (i.e. superposed with the moveable electrostatic combs) to considerably reduce the space required for the actuator. Additionally, a truss structure is provided to support the moveable electrostatic combs and prevent bending or distortion of these combs due to unbalanced electrostatic forces or external loading. The truss structure formed about the moveable electrostatic combs allows the spacing between the interdigitated fingers of the combs to be reduced to about one micron or less, thereby substantially increasing the number of active fingers which can be provided in a given area. Finally, electrostatic shields can be used in the actuator to substantially reduce unwanted electrostatic fields to further improve performance of the device. As a result, the compact electrostatic comb actuator of the present invention occupies only a fraction of the space required for conventional electrostatic comb actuators, while providing a substantial increase in the available drive force (up to one-hundred times).

  6. Micromachined chemical jet dispenser

    DOEpatents

    Swierkowski, Steve P.

    1999-03-02

    A dispenser for chemical fluid samples that need to be precisely ejected in size, location, and time. The dispenser is a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device fabricated in a bonded silicon wafer and a substrate, such as glass or silicon, using integrated circuit-like fabrication technology which is amenable to mass production. The dispensing is actuated by ultrasonic transducers that efficiently produce a pressure wave in capillaries that contain the chemicals. The 10-200 .mu.m diameter capillaries can be arranged to focus in one spot or may be arranged in a larger dense linear array (.about.200 capillaries). The dispenser is analogous to some ink jet print heads for computer printers but the fluid is not heated, thus not damaging certain samples. Major applications are in biological sample handling and in analytical chemical procedures such as environmental sample analysis, medical lab analysis, or molecular biology chemistry experiments.

  7. Automated planning of tangential breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy using heuristic optimization.

    PubMed

    Purdie, Thomas G; Dinniwell, Robert E; Letourneau, Daniel; Hill, Christine; Sharpe, Michael B

    2011-10-01

    To present an automated technique for two-field tangential breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment planning. A total of 158 planned patients with Stage 0, I, and II breast cancer treated using whole-breast IMRT were retrospectively replanned using automated treatment planning tools. The tools developed are integrated into the existing clinical treatment planning system (Pinnacle(3)) and are designed to perform the manual volume delineation, beam placement, and IMRT treatment planning steps carried out by the treatment planning radiation therapist. The automated algorithm, using only the radio-opaque markers placed at CT simulation as inputs, optimizes the tangential beam parameters to geometrically minimize the amount of lung and heart treated while covering the whole-breast volume. The IMRT parameters are optimized according to the automatically delineated whole-breast volume. The mean time to generate a complete treatment plan was 6 min, 50 s ± 1 min 12 s. For the automated plans, 157 of 158 plans (99%) were deemed clinically acceptable, and 138 of 158 plans (87%) were deemed clinically improved or equal to the corresponding clinical plan when reviewed in a randomized, double-blinded study by one experienced breast radiation oncologist. In addition, overall the automated plans were dosimetrically equivalent to the clinical plans when scored for target coverage and lung and heart doses. We have developed robust and efficient automated tools for fully inversed planned tangential breast IMRT planning that can be readily integrated into clinical practice. The tools produce clinically acceptable plans using only the common anatomic landmarks from the CT simulation process as an input. We anticipate the tools will improve patient access to high-quality IMRT treatment by simplifying the planning process and will reduce the effort and cost of incorporating more advanced planning into clinical practice. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc

  8. Fault-tolerant rotary actuator

    DOEpatents

    Tesar, Delbert

    2006-10-17

    A fault-tolerant actuator module, in a single containment shell, containing two actuator subsystems that are either asymmetrically or symmetrically laid out is provided. Fault tolerance in the actuators of the present invention is achieved by the employment of dual sets of equal resources. Dual resources are integrated into single modules, with each having the external appearance and functionality of a single set of resources.

  9. Efficient Hybrid Actuation Using Solid-State Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leo, Donald J.; Cudney, Harley H.; Horner, Garnett (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Piezohydraulic actuation is the use of fluid to rectify the motion of a piezoelectric actuator for the purpose of overcoming the small stroke limitations of the material. In this work we study a closed piezohydraulic circuit that utilizes active valves to rectify the motion of a hydraulic end affector. A linear, lumped parameter model of the system is developed and correlated with experiments. Results demonstrate that the model accurately predicts the filtering of the piezoelectric motion caused by hydraulic compliance. Accurate results are also obtained for predicting the unidirectional motion of the cylinder when the active valves are phased with respect to the piezoelectric actuator. A time delay associated with the mechanical response of the valves is incorporated into the model to reflect the finite time required to open or close the valves. This time delay is found to be the primary limiting factor in achieving higher speed and greater power from the piezohydraulic unit. Experiments on the piezohydraulic unit demonstrate that blocked forces on the order of 100 N and unloaded velocities of 180 micrometers/sec are achieved.

  10. Spiral Galaxy Central Bulge Tangential Speed of Revolution Curves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taff, Laurence

    2013-03-01

    The objective was to, for the first time in a century, scientifically analyze the ``rotation curves'' (sic) of the central bulges of scores of spiral galaxies. I commenced with a methodological, rational, geometrical, arithmetic, and statistical examination--none of them carried through before--of the radial velocity data. The requirement for such a thorough treatment is the paucity of data typically available for the central bulge: fewer than 10 observations and frequently only five. The most must be made of these. A consequence of this logical handling is the discovery of a unique model for the central bulge volume mass density resting on the positive slope, linear, rise of its tangential speed of revolution curve and hence--for the first time--a reliable mass estimate. The deduction comes from a known physics-based, mathematically valid, derivation (not assertion). It rests on the full (not partial) equations of motion plus Poisson's equation. Following that is a prediction for the gravitational potential energy and thence the gravitational force. From this comes a forecast for the tangential speed of revolution curve. It was analyzed in a fashion identical to that of the data thereby closing the circle and demonstrating internal self-consistency. This is a hallmark of a scientific method-informed approach to an experimental problem. Multiple plots of the relevant quantities and measures of goodness of fit will be shown. Astronomy related

  11. A close examination of under-actuated attitude control subsystem design for future satellite missions' life extension

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lam, Quang M.; Barkana, Itzhak

    2014-12-01

    Satellite mission life, maintained and prolonged beyond its typical norm of their expectancy, are primarily dictated by the state of health of its Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA), especially for commercial GEO satellites since torquer bars are no longer applicable while thruster assistant is unacceptable due to pointing accuracy impact during jet firing. The RWA is the primary set of actuators (as compared to thrusters for orbit maintenance and maneuvering) mainly responsible for the satellite mission for accurately and precisely pointing its payloads to the right targets to conduct its mission operations. The RWA consisting of either a set of four in pyramid or three in orthogonal is the primary set of actuators to allow the satellite to achieve accurate and precise pointing of the satellite payloads towards the desired targets. Future space missions will be required to achieve much longer lives and are currently perceived by the GEO satellite community as an "expected norm" of 20 years or longer. Driven by customers' demands/goals and competitive market have challenged Attitude Control Subsystems (ACS) engineers to develop better ACS algorithms to address such an emerging need. There are two main directions to design satellite's under-actuated control subsystem: (1) Attitude Feedback with Zero Momentum Principle and (2) Attitude Control by Angular Velocity Tracking via Small Time Local Controllability concept. Successful applications of these control laws have been largely demonstrated via simulation for the rest to rest case. Limited accuracy and oscillatory behaviors are observed in three axes for non-zero wheel momentum while realistic loss of a wheel scenario (i.e., fully actuated to under-actuated) has not been closely examined! This study revisits the under-actuated control design with detailed set ups of multiple scenarios reflecting real life operating conditions which have put current under-actuated control laws mentioned earlier into a re-evaluation mode

  12. DICHOTOMY OF SOLAR CORONAL JETS: STANDARD JETS AND BLOWOUT JETS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moore, Ronald L.; Cirtain, Jonathan W.; Sterling, Alphonse C.

    2010-09-01

    By examining many X-ray jets in Hinode/X-Ray Telescope coronal X-ray movies of the polar coronal holes, we found that there is a dichotomy of polar X-ray jets. About two thirds fit the standard reconnection picture for coronal jets, and about one third are another type. We present observations indicating that the non-standard jets are counterparts of erupting-loop H{alpha} macrospicules, jets in which the jet-base magnetic arch undergoes a miniature version of the blowout eruptions that produce major coronal mass ejections. From the coronal X-ray movies we present in detail two typical standard X-ray jets and two typical blowout X-ray jetsmore » that were also caught in He II 304 A snapshots from STEREO/EUVI. The distinguishing features of blowout X-ray jets are (1) X-ray brightening inside the base arch in addition to the outside bright point that standard jets have, (2) blowout eruption of the base arch's core field, often carrying a filament of cool (T {approx} 10{sup 4} - 10{sup 5} K) plasma, and (3) an extra jet-spire strand rooted close to the bright point. We present cartoons showing how reconnection during blowout eruption of the base arch could produce the observed features of blowout X-ray jets. We infer that (1) the standard-jet/blowout-jet dichotomy of coronal jets results from the dichotomy of base arches that do not have and base arches that do have enough shear and twist to erupt open, and (2) there is a large class of spicules that are standard jets and a comparably large class of spicules that are blowout jets.« less

  13. Rotary Series Elastic Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Mehling, Joshua S. (Inventor); Parsons, Adam H. (Inventor); Griffith, Bryan Kristian (Inventor); Radford, Nicolaus A. (Inventor); Permenter, Frank Noble (Inventor); Davis, Donald R. (Inventor); Ambrose, Robert O. (Inventor); Junkin, Lucien Q. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A rotary actuator assembly is provided for actuation of an upper arm assembly for a dexterous humanoid robot. The upper arm assembly for the humanoid robot includes a plurality of arm support frames each defining an axis. A plurality of rotary actuator assemblies are each mounted to one of the plurality of arm support frames about the respective axes. Each rotary actuator assembly includes a motor mounted about the respective axis, a gear drive rotatably connected to the motor, and a torsion spring. The torsion spring has a spring input that is rotatably connected to an output of the gear drive and a spring output that is connected to an output for the joint.

  14. Rotary series elastic actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Mehling, Joshua S. (Inventor); Parsons, Adam H. (Inventor); Griffith, Bryan Kristian (Inventor); Radford, Nicolaus A. (Inventor); Permenter, Frank Noble (Inventor); Davis, Donald R. (Inventor); Ambrose, Robert O. (Inventor); Junkin, Lucien Q. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    A rotary actuator assembly is provided for actuation of an upper arm assembly for a dexterous humanoid robot. The upper arm assembly for the humanoid robot includes a plurality of arm support frames each defining an axis. A plurality of rotary actuator assemblies are each mounted to one of the plurality of arm support frames about the respective axes. Each rotary actuator assembly includes a motor mounted about the respective axis, a gear drive rotatably connected to the motor, and a torsion spring. The torsion spring has a spring input that is rotatably connected to an output of the gear drive and a spring output that is connected to an output for the joint.

  15. Muscle Motion Solenoid Actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Obata, Shuji

    It is one of our dreams to mechanically recover the lost body for damaged humans. Realistic humanoid robots composed of such machines require muscle motion actuators controlled by all pulling actions. Particularly, antagonistic pairs of bi-articular muscles are very important in animal's motions. A system of actuators is proposed using the electromagnetic force of the solenoids with the abilities of the stroke length over 10 cm and the strength about 20 N, which are needed to move the real human arm. The devised actuators are based on developments of recent modern electro-magnetic materials, where old time materials can not give such possibility. Composite actuators are controlled by a high ability computer and software making genuine motions.

  16. Jet in jet in M87

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sob'yanin, Denis Nikolaevich

    2017-11-01

    New high-resolution Very Long Baseline Interferometer observations of the prominent jet in the M87 radio galaxy show a persistent triple-ridge structure of the transverse 15-GHz profile with a previously unobserved ultra-narrow central ridge. This radio structure can reflect the intrinsic structure of the jet, so that the jet as a whole consists of two embedded coaxial jets. A relativistic magnetohydrodynamic model is considered in which an inner jet is placed inside a hollow outer jet and the electromagnetic fields, pressures and other physical quantities are found. The entire jet is connected to the central engine that plays the role of a unipolar inductor generating voltage between the jets and providing opposite electric currents, and the charge neutrality and current closure together with the electromagnetic fields between the jets can contribute to the jet stabilization. The constant voltage is responsible for the similar widening laws observed for the inner and outer jets. This jet-in-jet structure can indicate simultaneous operation of two different jet-launching mechanisms, one relating to the central supermassive black hole and the other to the surrounding accretion disc. An inferred magnetic field of 80 G at the base is sufficient to provide the observed jet luminosity.

  17. Modeling and Synthesis Methods for Retrofit Design of Submarine Actuation Systems. Energy Storage for Electric Actuators

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-15

    for Retrofit Design of Submarine Actuation Systems 5b. GRANT NUMBER Energy Storage for Electric Actuators NOOO 14-08-1-0424 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...are used to derive power and energy storage requirements for control surface actuation during extreme submarine maneuvers, such as emergency...and for initially sizing system components. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Submarines, electromagnetic actuators, energy storage, simulation-based design

  18. Performance evaluation of an improved fish robot actuated by piezoceramic actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Q. S.; Heo, S.; Park, H. C.; Byun, D.

    2010-03-01

    This paper presents an improved fish robot actuated by four lightweight piezocomposite actuators. Our newly developed actuation mechanism is simple to fabricate because it works without gears. With the new actuation mechanism, the fish robot has a 30% smaller cross section than our previous model. Performance tests of the fish robot in water were carried out to measure the tail-beat angle, the thrust force, the swimming speed for various tail-beat frequencies from 1 to 5 Hz and the turning radius at the optimal frequency. The maximum swimming speed of the fish robot is 7.7 cm s - 1 at a tail-beat frequency of 3.9 Hz. A turning experiment shows that the swimming direction of the fish robot can be controlled by changing the duty ratio of the driving voltage; the fish robot has a turning radius of 0.41 m for a left turn and 0.68 m for a right turn.

  19. Larger-Stroke Piezoelectrically Actuated Microvalve

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yang, Eui-Hyeok

    2003-01-01

    A proposed normally-closed microvalve would contain a piezoelectric bending actuator instead of a piezoelectric linear actuator like that of the microvalve described in the preceding article. Whereas the stroke of the linear actuator of the preceding article would be limited to approximately equal to 6 micrometers, the stroke of the proposed bending actuator would lie in the approximate range of 10 to 15 micrometers-large enough to enable the microvalve to handle a variety of liquids containing suspended particles having sizes up to 10 m. Such particulate-laden liquids occur in a variety of microfluidic systems, one example being a system that sorts cells or large biomolecules for analysis. In comparison with the linear actuator of the preceding article, the bending actuator would be smaller and less massive. The combination of increased stroke, smaller mass, and smaller volume would be obtained at the cost of decreased actuation force: The proposed actuator would generate a force in the approximate range of 1 to 4 N, the exact amount depending on operating conditions and details of design. This level of actuation force would be too low to enable the valve to handle a fluid at the high pressure level mentioned in the preceding article. The proposal encompasses two alternative designs one featuring a miniature piezoelectric bimorph actuator and one featuring a thick-film unimorph piezoelectric actuator (see figure). In either version, the valve would consume a power of only 0.01 W when actuated at a frequency of 100 Hz. Also, in either version, it would be necessary to attach a soft elastomeric sealing ring to the valve seat so that any particles that settle on the seat would be pushed deep into the elastomeric material to prevent or reduce leakage. The overall dimensions of the bimorph version would be 7 by 7 by 1 mm. The actuator in this version would generate a force of 1 N and a stroke of 10 m at an applied potential of 150 V. The actuation force would be

  20. Thermal expansion as a precision actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Chris; Montgomery, David; Black, Martin; Schnetler, Hermine

    2016-07-01

    The UK ATC has developed a novel thermal actuator design as part of an OPTICON project focusing on the development of a Freeform Active Mirror Element (FAME). The actuator uses the well understood concept of thermal expansion to generate the required force and displacement. As heat is applied to the actuator material it expands linearly. A resistance temperature device (RTD) is embedded in the centre of the actuator and is used both as a heater and a sensor. The RTD temperature is controlled electronically by injecting a varying amount of current into the device whilst measuring the voltage across it. Temperature control of the RTD has been achieved to within 0.01°C. A 3D printed version of the actuator is currently being used at the ATC to deform a mirror but it has several advantages that may make it suitable to other applications. The actuator is cheap to produce whilst obtaining a high accuracy and repeatability. The actuator design would be suitable for applications requiring large numbers of actuators with high precision.

  1. Cellular Pressure-Actuated Joint

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McGuire, John R.

    2003-01-01

    A modification of a pressure-actuated joint has been proposed to improve its pressure actuation in such a manner as to reduce the potential for leakage of the pressurizing fluid. The specific joint for which the modification is proposed is a field joint in a reusable solid-fuel rocket motor (RSRM), in which the pressurizing fluid is a mixture of hot combustion gases. The proposed modification could also be applicable to other pressure-actuated joints of similar configuration.

  2. Linear Proof-Mass Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holloway, Sidney E., III; Crossley, Edward A.; Miller, James B.; Jones, Irby W.; Davis, C. Calvin; Behun, Vaughn D.; Goodrich, Lewis R., Sr.

    1995-01-01

    Linear proof-mass actuator (LPMA) is friction-driven linear mass actuator capable of applying controlled force to structure in outer space to damp out oscillations. Capable of high accelerations and provides smooth, bidirectional travel of mass. Design eliminates gears and belts. LPMA strong enough to be used terrestrially where linear actuators needed to excite or damp out oscillations. High flexibility designed into LPMA by varying size of motors, mass, and length of stroke, and by modifying control software.

  3. Low-Speed Wind-Tunnel Investigation to Determine the Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Rectangular Wing Equipped with a Full-Span and an Inboard Half-Span Jet-Augmented Flap Deflected 55 deg

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gainer, Thomas G.

    1959-01-01

    An investigation to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of a rectangular wing equipped with a full-span and an inboard half-span jet-augmented flap has been made in the Langley 300 MPH 7- by 10-foot tunnel. The wing had an aspect ratio of 8.3 and a thickness-chord ratio of 0.167. A jet of air was blown backward through a small gap, tangentially to the upper surface of a round trailing edge, and was separated from the trailing edge by a very small flap at an angle of 55 deg with respect to the wing-chord plane. The results of the investigation showed that the ratio of total lift to jet-reaction lift for the wing was about 35 percent less for the half-span jet-augmented flap than for the full-span jet-augmented flap. The reduction of the span of the jet-augmented flap from full to half span reduced the maximum value of jet-circulation lift coefficient that could be produced from about 6.8 to a value of about 2.2. The half-span jet- augmented flap gave thrust recoveries considerably poorer than those obtained with the full-span jet-augmented flap. Large nose-down pitching- moment coefficients were produced by the half-span flap, with the greater part of these being the result of the larger jet reactions required to produce a given lift for the half-spin flap compared with that required for the full-span flap.

  4. Rationale and Application of Tangential Scanning to Industrial Inspection of Hardwood Logs

    Treesearch

    Nand K. Gupta; Daniel L. Schmoldt; Bruce Isaacson

    1998-01-01

    Industrial computed tomography (CT) inspection of hardwood logs has some unique requirements not found in other CT applications. Sawmill operations demand that large volumes of wood be scanned quickly at high spatial resolution for extended duty cycles. Current CT scanning geometries and commercial systems have both technical and economic [imitations. Tangential...

  5. Dielectric elastomer actuators for facial expression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yuzhe; Zhu, Jian

    2016-04-01

    Dielectric elastomer actuators have the advantage of mimicking the salient feature of life: movements in response to stimuli. In this paper we explore application of dielectric elastomer actuators to artificial muscles. These artificial muscles can mimic natural masseter to control jaw movements, which are key components in facial expressions especially during talking and singing activities. This paper investigates optimal design of the dielectric elastomer actuator. It is found that the actuator with embedded plastic fibers can avert electromechanical instability and can greatly improve its actuation. Two actuators are then installed in a robotic skull to drive jaw movements, mimicking the masseters in a human jaw. Experiments show that the maximum vertical displacement of the robotic jaw, driven by artificial muscles, is comparable to that of the natural human jaw during speech activities. Theoretical simulations are conducted to analyze the performance of the actuator, which is quantitatively consistent with the experimental observations.

  6. Injector Element which Maintains a Constant Mean Spray Angle and Optimum Pressure Drop During Throttling by Varying the Geometry of Tangential Inlets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trinh, Huu P. (Inventor); Myers, William Neill (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    A method for determining the optimum inlet geometry of a liquid rocket engine swirl injector includes obtaining a throttleable level phase value, volume flow rate, chamber pressure, liquid propellant density, inlet injector pressure, desired target spray angle and desired target optimum delta pressure value between an inlet and a chamber for a plurality of engine stages. The tangential inlet area for each throttleable stage is calculated. The correlation between the tangential inlet areas and delta pressure values is used to calculate the spring displacement and variable inlet geometry. An injector designed using the method includes a plurality of geometrically calculated tangential inlets in an injection tube; an injection tube cap with a plurality of inlet slots slidably engages the injection tube. A pressure differential across the injector element causes the cap to slide along the injection tube and variably align the inlet slots with the tangential inlets.

  7. Micromachined chemical jet dispenser

    DOEpatents

    Swierkowski, S.P.

    1999-03-02

    A dispenser is disclosed for chemical fluid samples that need to be precisely ejected in size, location, and time. The dispenser is a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device fabricated in a bonded silicon wafer and a substrate, such as glass or silicon, using integrated circuit-like fabrication technology which is amenable to mass production. The dispensing is actuated by ultrasonic transducers that efficiently produce a pressure wave in capillaries that contain the chemicals. The 10-200 {micro}m diameter capillaries can be arranged to focus in one spot or may be arranged in a larger dense linear array (ca. 200 capillaries). The dispenser is analogous to some ink jet print heads for computer printers but the fluid is not heated, thus not damaging certain samples. Major applications are in biological sample handling and in analytical chemical procedures such as environmental sample analysis, medical lab analysis, or molecular biology chemistry experiments. 4 figs.

  8. Radial and tangential gravity rates from GRACE in areas of glacial isostatic adjustment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Wal, Wouter; Kurtenbach, Enrico; Kusche, Jürgen; Vermeersen, Bert

    2011-11-01

    In areas dominated by Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA), the free-air gravity anomaly rate can be converted to uplift rate to good approximation by using a simple spectral relation. We provide quantitative comparisons between gravity rates derived from monthly gravity field solutions (GFZ Potsdam, CSR Texas, IGG Bonn) from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission with uplift rates measured by GPS in these areas. The band-limited gravity data from the GRACE satellite mission can be brought to very good agreement with the point data from GPS by using scaling factors derived from a GIA model (the root-mean-square of differences is 0.55 mm yr-1 for a maximum uplift rate signal of 10 mm yr-1). The root-mean-square of the differences between GRACE derived uplift rates and GPS derived uplift rates decreases with increasing GRACE time period to a level below the uncertainty that is expected from GRACE observations, GPS measurements and the conversion from gravity rate to uplift rate. With the current length of time-series (more than 8 yr) applying filters and a hydrology correction to the GRACE data does not reduce the root-mean-square of differences significantly. The smallest root-mean-square was obtained with the GFZ solution in Fennoscandia and with the CSR solution in North America. With radial gravity rates in excellent agreement with GPS uplift rates, more information on the GIA process can be extracted from GRACE gravity field solutions in the form of tangential gravity rates, which are equivalent to a rate of change in the deflection of the vertical scaled by the magnitude of gravity rate vector. Tangential gravity rates derived from GRACE point towards the centre of the previously glaciated area, and are largest in a location close to the centre of the former ice sheet. Forward modelling showed that present day tangential gravity rates have maximum sensitivity between the centre and edge of the former ice sheet, while radial gravity

  9. Self-actuated device

    DOEpatents

    Hecht, Samuel L.

    1984-01-01

    A self-actuated device, of particular use as a valve or an orifice for nuclear reactor fuel and blanket assemblies, in which a gas produced by a neutron induced nuclear reaction gradually accumulates as a function of neutron fluence. The gas pressure increase occasioned by such accumulation of gas is used to actuate the device.

  10. Do uniform tangential interfacial stresses enhance adhesion?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Menga, Nicola; Carbone, Giuseppe; Dini, Daniele

    2018-03-01

    We present theoretical arguments, based on linear elasticity and thermodynamics, to show that interfacial tangential stresses in sliding adhesive soft contacts may lead to a significant increase of the effective energy of adhesion. A sizable expansion of the contact area is predicted in conditions corresponding to such scenario. These results are easily explained and are valid under the assumptions that: (i) sliding at the interface does not lead to any loss of adhesive interaction and (ii) spatial fluctuations of frictional stresses can be considered negligible. Our results are seemingly supported by existing experiments, and show that frictional stresses may lead to an increase of the effective energy of adhesion depending on which conditions are established at the interface of contacting bodies in the presence of adhesive forces.

  11. Analysis of the sweeped actuator line method

    DOE PAGES

    Nathan, Jörn; Masson, Christian; Dufresne, Louis; ...

    2015-10-16

    The actuator line method made it possible to describe the near wake of a wind turbine more accurately than with the actuator disk method. Whereas the actuator line generates the helicoidal vortex system shed from the tip blades, the actuator disk method sheds a vortex sheet from the edge of the rotor plane. But with the actuator line come also temporal and spatial constraints, such as the need for a much smaller time step than with actuator disk. While the latter one only has to obey the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy condition, the former one is also restricted by the grid resolution andmore » the rotor tip-speed. Additionally the spatial resolution has to be finer for the actuator line than with the actuator disk, for well resolving the tip vortices. Therefore this work is dedicated to examining a method in between of actuator line and actuator disk, which is able to model the transient behavior, such as the rotating blades, but which also relaxes the temporal constraint. Therefore a larger time-step is used and the blade forces are swept over a certain area. As a result, the main focus of this article is on the aspect of the blade tip vortex generation in comparison with the standard actuator line and actuator disk.« less

  12. Analysis of the sweeped actuator line method

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nathan, Jörn; Masson, Christian; Dufresne, Louis

    The actuator line method made it possible to describe the near wake of a wind turbine more accurately than with the actuator disk method. Whereas the actuator line generates the helicoidal vortex system shed from the tip blades, the actuator disk method sheds a vortex sheet from the edge of the rotor plane. But with the actuator line come also temporal and spatial constraints, such as the need for a much smaller time step than with actuator disk. While the latter one only has to obey the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy condition, the former one is also restricted by the grid resolution andmore » the rotor tip-speed. Additionally the spatial resolution has to be finer for the actuator line than with the actuator disk, for well resolving the tip vortices. Therefore this work is dedicated to examining a method in between of actuator line and actuator disk, which is able to model the transient behavior, such as the rotating blades, but which also relaxes the temporal constraint. Therefore a larger time-step is used and the blade forces are swept over a certain area. As a result, the main focus of this article is on the aspect of the blade tip vortex generation in comparison with the standard actuator line and actuator disk.« less

  13. Bistable microelectromechanical actuator

    DOEpatents

    Fleming, James G.

    1999-01-01

    A bistable microelectromechanical (MEM) actuator is formed on a substrate and includes a stressed membrane of generally rectangular shape that upon release assumes a curvilinear cross-sectional shape due to attachment at a midpoint to a resilient member and at opposing edges to a pair of elongate supports. The stressed membrane can be electrostatically switched between a pair of mechanical states having mirror-image symmetry, with the MEM actuator remaining in a quiescent state after a programming voltage is removed. The bistable MEM actuator according to various embodiments of the present invention can be used to form a nonvolatile memory element, an optical modulator (with a pair of mirrors supported above the membrane and moving in synchronism as the membrane is switched), a switchable mirror (with a single mirror supported above the membrane at the midpoint thereof) and a latching relay (with a pair of contacts that open and close as the membrane is switched). Arrays of bistable MEM actuators can be formed for applications including nonvolatile memories, optical displays and optical computing.

  14. Bistable microelectromechanical actuator

    DOEpatents

    Fleming, J.G.

    1999-02-02

    A bistable microelectromechanical (MEM) actuator is formed on a substrate and includes a stressed membrane of generally rectangular shape that upon release assumes a curvilinear cross-sectional shape due to attachment at a midpoint to a resilient member and at opposing edges to a pair of elongate supports. The stressed membrane can be electrostatically switched between a pair of mechanical states having mirror-image symmetry, with the MEM actuator remaining in a quiescent state after a programming voltage is removed. The bistable MEM actuator according to various embodiments of the present invention can be used to form a nonvolatile memory element, an optical modulator (with a pair of mirrors supported above the membrane and moving in synchronism as the membrane is switched), a switchable mirror (with a single mirror supported above the membrane at the midpoint thereof) and a latching relay (with a pair of contacts that open and close as the membrane is switched). Arrays of bistable MEM actuators can be formed for applications including nonvolatile memories, optical displays and optical computing. 49 figs.

  15. Design and demonstration of a fish robot actuated by a SMA-driven actuation system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Le, Chan H.; Nguyen, Quang S.; Park, Hoon C.

    2010-04-01

    This paper presents a concept of a fish robot actuated by an SMA-based actuator. The bending-type actuator system is composed of a 0.1mm diameter SMA wire and a 0.5mm thick glass/epoxy strip. The SMA wire is installed to the bent composite strip. The actuator can produce about 200gf of blocking force and 3.5mm displacement at the center of the glass/epoxy strip. The bending motion of the actuator is converted into the tail-beat motion of a fish robot through a linkage system. The fish robot is evaluated by measuring the tail-beat angle, swimming speed and thrust produced by the fish robot. The tail-beat angle is about 20° and the maximum swimming speed is about 1.6cm/s. The measured thrust is about 0.4gf when the fish robot is operated at 0.9Hz.

  16. Piezoelectric actuators for active optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Le Letty, R.; Barillot, F.; Fabbro, H.; Guay, Ph.; Cadiergues, L.

    2017-11-01

    Piezoelectric actuators find their first applications in active space optics. The purpose of this paper is to describe the state of the art and some applications. Piezo actuators display attractive features for space applications, such as precise positioning, unlubricated, non magnetic and compact features, and low power consumption. However, piezo mechanisms cannot be considered separately from their driving and control electronic. Piezo actuators, such as Amplified Piezo Actuators or Parallel Pre-stressed Actuators, initially designed under CNES contracts, shall find their first space flight applications in optics on the PHARAO Laser bench: • fine pointing of the laser beams, • laser cavity tuning. Breadboard mechanisms based on piezo actuators have also been tested for refocusing purposes. Other applications includes the improvement of the CCD resolution through an oversampling technique, such as in the SOHO/LASCO instrument, fast optical shutter operation, optical filter in combination with a Fabry - Perot interferometer, such as in future LIDAR for earth observation. The first applications shall be described and an overview of the future potential applications shall be given.

  17. Large Scale Magnetostrictive Valve Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Richard, James A.; Holleman, Elizabeth; Eddleman, David

    2008-01-01

    Marshall Space Flight Center's Valves, Actuators and Ducts Design and Development Branch developed a large scale magnetostrictive valve actuator. The potential advantages of this technology are faster, more efficient valve actuators that consume less power and provide precise position control and deliver higher flow rates than conventional solenoid valves. Magnetostrictive materials change dimensions when a magnetic field is applied; this property is referred to as magnetostriction. Magnetostriction is caused by the alignment of the magnetic domains in the material s crystalline structure and the applied magnetic field lines. Typically, the material changes shape by elongating in the axial direction and constricting in the radial direction, resulting in no net change in volume. All hardware and testing is complete. This paper will discuss: the potential applications of the technology; overview of the as built actuator design; discuss problems that were uncovered during the development testing; review test data and evaluate weaknesses of the design; and discuss areas for improvement for future work. This actuator holds promises of a low power, high load, proportionally controlled actuator for valves requiring 440 to 1500 newtons load.

  18. Interaction between plasma synthetic jet and subsonic turbulent boundary layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zong, Haohua; Kotsonis, Marios

    2017-04-01

    This paper experimentally investigates the interaction between a plasma synthetic jet (PSJ) and a subsonic turbulent boundary layer (TBL) using a hotwire anemometer and phase-locked particle imaging velocimetry. The PSJ is interacting with a fully developed turbulent boundary layer developing on the flat wall of a square wind tunnel section of 1.7 m length. The Reynolds number based on the freestream velocity (U∞ = 20 m/s) and the boundary layer thickness (δ99 = 34.5 mm) at the location of interaction is 44 400. A large-volume (1696 mm3) three-electrode plasma synthetic jet actuator (PSJA) with a round exit orifice (D = 2 mm) is adopted to produce high-speed (92 m/s) and short-duration (Tjet = 1 ms) pulsed jets. The exit velocity variation of the adopted PSJA in a crossflow is shown to remain almost identical to that in quiescent conditions. However, the flow structures emanating from the interaction between the PSJ and the TBL are significantly different from what were observed in quiescent conditions. In the midspan xy plane (z = 0 mm), the erupted jet body initially follows a wall-normal trajectory accompanied by the formation of a distinctive front vortex ring. After three convective time scales the jet bends to the crossflow, thus limiting the peak penetration depth to approximately 0.58δ99. Comparison of the normalized jet trajectories indicates that the penetration ability of the PSJ is less than steady jets with the same momentum flow velocity. Prior to the jet diminishing, a recirculation region is observed in the leeward side of the jet body, experiencing first an expansion and then a contraction in the area. In the cross-stream yz plane, the signature structure of jets in a crossflow, the counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP), transports high-momentum flow from the outer layer to the near-wall region, leading to a fuller velocity profile and a drop in the boundary layer shape factor (1.3 to 1.2). In contrast to steady jets, the CVP produced by the PSJ

  19. Powerful Electromechanical Linear Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cowan, John R.; Myers, William N.

    1994-01-01

    Powerful electromechanical linear actuator designed to replace hydraulic actuator. Cleaner, simpler, and needs less maintenance. Features rotary-to-linear-motion converter with antibacklash gearing and position feedback via shaft-angle resolvers, which measure rotary motion.

  20. Carbon nanotube-polymer composite actuators

    DOEpatents

    Gennett, Thomas [Denver, CO; Raffaelle, Ryne P [Honeoye Falls, NY; Landi, Brian J [Rochester, NY; Heben, Michael J [Denver, CO

    2008-04-22

    The present invention discloses a carbon nanotube (SWNT)-polymer composite actuator and method to make such actuator. A series of uniform composites was prepared by dispersing purified single wall nanotubes with varying weight percents into a polymer matrix, followed by solution casting. The resulting nanotube-polymer composite was then successfully used to form a nanotube polymer actuator.

  1. 3D printed soft parallel actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zolfagharian, Ali; Kouzani, Abbas Z.; Khoo, Sui Yang; Noshadi, Amin; Kaynak, Akif

    2018-04-01

    This paper presents a 3-dimensional (3D) printed soft parallel contactless actuator for the first time. The actuator involves an electro-responsive parallel mechanism made of two segments namely active chain and passive chain both 3D printed. The active chain is attached to the ground from one end and constitutes two actuator links made of responsive hydrogel. The passive chain, on the other hand, is attached to the active chain from one end and consists of two rigid links made of polymer. The actuator links are printed using an extrusion-based 3D-Bioplotter with polyelectrolyte hydrogel as printer ink. The rigid links are also printed by a 3D fused deposition modelling (FDM) printer with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as print material. The kinematics model of the soft parallel actuator is derived via transformation matrices notations to simulate and determine the workspace of the actuator. The printed soft parallel actuator is then immersed into NaOH solution with specific voltage applied to it via two contactless electrodes. The experimental data is then collected and used to develop a parametric model to estimate the end-effector position and regulate kinematics model in response to specific input voltage over time. It is observed that the electroactive actuator demonstrates expected behaviour according to the simulation of its kinematics model. The use of 3D printing for the fabrication of parallel soft actuators opens a new chapter in manufacturing sophisticated soft actuators with high dexterity and mechanical robustness for biomedical applications such as cell manipulation and drug release.

  2. Silicone based dielectric elastomer strip actuators coupled with nonlinear biasing elements for large actuation strains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hau, S.; Bruch, D.; Rizzello, G.; Motzki, P.; Seelecke, S.

    2018-07-01

    There are two major categories of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), which differ from the way in which the actuation is exploited: stack DEAs, using the thickness compression, and membrane DEAs, which exploit the expansion in area. In this work we focus on a specific type of membrane DEAs, i.e., silicone-based strip-in-plane (SIP) DEAs with screen printed electrodes. The performance of such actuators strongly depends on their geometry and on the adopted mechanical biasing system. Typically, the biasing is based on elastomer pre-stretch or on dead loads, which results in relatively low actuation strain. Biasing systems characterized by a negative rate spring have proven to significantly increase the performance of circular out-of-plane DEAs. However, this kind of biasing has never been systematically applied to silicone SIP DEAs. In this work, the biasing design based on negative rate springs is extended to strip DEAs as well, allowing to improve speed, strain, and force of the resulting actuator. At first, the DEAs are characterized under electrical and mechanical loading. Afterwards, two actuator systems are studied and compared in terms of actuation strain, force output, and actuation speed. In a first design stage, the DEA is coupled with a linear spring. Subsequently, the membrane is loaded with a combination of linear and nonlinear spring (working in a negative stiffness region). The resulting stroke output of the second systems is more than 9 times higher in comparison to the first one. An actuation strain of up to 45% (11.2 millimeter) and a force output of 0.38 Newton are measured. A maximum speed of 0.29 m s‑1 is achieved, which is about 60 times faster than the one typically measured for similar systems based on VHB.

  3. Stimuli-Responsive Polymers for Actuation.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qiang Matthew; Serpe, Michael J

    2017-06-02

    A variety of stimuli-responsive polymers have been developed and used as actuators and/or artificial muscles, with the movement being driven by an external stimulus, such as electrical potential. This Review highlights actuators constructed from liquid-crystal elastomers, dielectric elastomers, ionic polymers, and conducting polymers. The Review covers recent examples of a variety of actuators generated from these materials and their utility. The mechanism of actuation will be detailed for most examples in order to stimulate possible future research, and lead to new applications and advanced applications. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Effect of Pulsed Plasma Jets on the Recovering Boundary Layer Downstream of a Reflected Shock Interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Greene, Benton; Clemens, Noel; Magari, Patrick; Micka, Daniel; Ueckermann, Mattheus

    2015-11-01

    Shock-induced turbulent boundary layer separation can have many detrimental effects in supersonic inlets including flow distortion and instability, structural fatigue, poor pressure recovery, and unstart. The current study investigates the effect of pulsed plasma jets on the recovering boundary layer downstream of a reflected shock wave-boundary layer interaction. The effects of pitch and skew angle of the jet as well as the heating parameter and discharge time scale are tested using several pulsing frequencies. In addition, the effect of the plasma jets on the undisturbed boundary layer at 6 mm and 11 mm downstream of the jets is measured. A pitot-static pressure probe is used to measure the velocity profile of the boundary layer 35 mm downstream of the plasma jets, and the degree of boundary layer distortion is compared between the different models and run conditions. Additionally, the effect of each actuator configuration on the shape of the mean separated region is investigated using surface oil flow visualization. Previous studies with lower energy showed a weak effect on the downstream boundary layer. The current investigation will attempt to increase this effect using a higher-energy discharge. Funded by AFRL through and SBIR in collaboration with Creare, LLC.

  5. Numerical Investigation of Synthetic-jet based Flow Control on Vertical-axis Wind Turbine Blades

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Menon, Ashwin; Tran, Steven; Sahni, Onkar

    2013-11-01

    Vertical-axis wind turbines encounter large unsteady aerodynamic loads in a sustained fashion due to the continuously varying angle of attack that is experienced by turbine blades during each revolution. Moreover, the detachment of the leading edge vortex at high angles of attack leads to sudden change in aerodynamic loads that result in structural vibrations and fatigue, and possibly failure. This numerical study focuses on using synthetic-jet based fluidic actuation to reduce the unsteady loading on VAWT blades. In the simulations, the jets are placed at the dominant separation location that is observed in the baseline case. We consider different tip-speed ratios, O(2-5), and we also study the effect of blowing ratio (to be in O(0.5-1.5)) and reduced frequency, i.e., ratio of jet frequency to flow frequency (to be in O(5-15)). For all cases, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations are carried out by using the Spallart-Allamaras turbulence model, where stabilized finite element method is employed for spatial discretization along with an implicit time-integration scheme.

  6. Nanostructured carbon materials based electrothermal air pump actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Qing; Liu, Luqi; Kuang, Jun; Dai, Zhaohe; Han, Jinhua; Zhang, Zhong

    2014-05-01

    Actuator materials can directly convert different types of energy into mechanical energy. In this work, we designed and fabricated electrothermal air pump-type actuators by utilization of various nanostructured carbon materials, including single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), reduced graphene oxide (r-GO), and graphene oxide (GO)/SWCNT hybrid films as heating elements to transfer electrical stimulus into thermal energy, and finally convert it into mechanical energy. Both the actuation displacement and working temperature of the actuator films show the monotonically increasing trend with increasing driving voltage within the actuation process. Compared with common polymer nanocomposites based electrothermal actuators, our actuators exhibited better actuation performances with a low driving voltage (<10 V), large generated stress (tens of MPa), high gravimetric density (tens of J kg-1), and short response time (few hundreds of milliseconds). Besides that, the pump actuators exhibited excellent stability under cyclic actuation tests. Among these actuators, a relatively larger actuation strain was obtained for the r-GO film actuator due to the intrinsic gas-impermeability nature of graphene platelets. In addition, the high modulus of the r-GO and GO/SWCNT films also guaranteed the large generated stress and high work density. Specifically, the generated stress and gravimetric work density of the GO/SWCNT hybrid film actuator could reach up to more than 50 MPa and 30 J kg-1, respectively, under a driving voltage of 10 V. The resulting stress value is at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of natural muscles (~0.4 MPa).Actuator materials can directly convert different types of energy into mechanical energy. In this work, we designed and fabricated electrothermal air pump-type actuators by utilization of various nanostructured carbon materials, including single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), reduced graphene oxide (r-GO), and graphene oxide (GO)/SWCNT hybrid

  7. Plasma actuators for bluff body flow control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozlov, Alexey V.

    The aerodynamic plasma actuators have shown to be efficient flow control devices in various applications. In this study the results of flow control experiments utilizing single dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators to control flow separation and unsteady vortex shedding from a circular cylinder in cross-flow are reported. This work is motivated by the need to reduce landing gear noise for commercial transport aircraft via an effective streamlining created by the actuators. The experiments are performed at Re D = 20,000...164,000. Circular cylinders in cross-flow are chosen for study since they represent a generic flow geometry that is similar in all essential aspects to a landing gear oleo or strut. The minimization of the unsteady flow separation from the models and associated large-scale wake vorticity by using actuators reduces the radiated aerodynamic noise. Using either steady or unsteady actuation at ReD = 25,000, Karman shedding is totally eliminated, turbulence levels in the wake decrease significantly and near-field sound pressure levels are reduced by 13.3 dB. Unsteady actuation at an excitation frequency of St D = 1 is found to be most effective. The unsteady actuation also has the advantage that total suppression of shedding is achieved for a duty cycle of only 25%. However, since unsteady actuation is associated with an unsteady body force and produces a tone at the actuation frequency, steady actuation is more suitable for noise control applications. Two actuation strategies are used at ReD = 82,000: spanwise and streamwise oriented actuators. Near field microphone measurements in an anechoic wind tunnel and detailed study of the near wake using LDA are presented in the study. Both spanwise and streamwise actuators give nearly the same noise reduction level of 11.2 dB and 14.2 dB, respectively, and similar changes in the wake velocity profiles. The contribution of the actuator induced noise is found to be small compared to the natural shedding

  8. Antecedent Avian Immunity Limits Tangential Transmission of West Nile Virus to Humans

    PubMed Central

    Kwan, Jennifer L.; Kluh, Susanne; Reisen, William K.

    2012-01-01

    Background West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus maintained and amplified among birds and tangentially transmitted to humans and horses which may develop terminal neuroinvasive disease. Outbreaks typically have a three-year pattern of silent introduction, rapid amplification and subsidence, followed by intermittent recrudescence. Our hypothesis that amplification to outbreak levels is contingent upon antecedent seroprevalence within maintenance host populations was tested by tracking WNV transmission in Los Angeles, California from 2003 through 2011. Methods Prevalence of antibodies against WNV was monitored weekly in House Finches and House Sparrows. Tangential or spillover transmission was measured by seroconversions in sentinel chickens and by the number of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND) cases reported to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Results Elevated seroprevalence in these avian populations was associated with the subsidence of outbreaks and in the antecedent dampening of amplification during succeeding years. Dilution of seroprevalence by recruitment resulted in the progressive loss of herd immunity following the 2004 outbreak, leading to recrudescence during 2008 and 2011. WNV appeared to be a significant cause of death in these avian species, because the survivorship of antibody positive birds significantly exceeded that of antibody negative birds. Cross-correlation analysis showed that seroprevalence was negatively correlated prior to the onset of human cases and then positively correlated, peaking at 4–6 weeks after the onset of tangential transmission. Antecedent seroprevalence during winter (Jan – Mar) was negatively correlated with the number of WNND cases during the succeeding summer (Jul–Sep). Conclusions Herd immunity levels within after hatching year avian maintenance host populations <10% during the antecedent late winter and spring period were followed on three occasions by outbreaks of WNND

  9. Experimental Evaluation of an Isolated Synthetic Jet IN Crossflow

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schaeffler, Norman W.; Jenkins, Luther N.; Hepner, Timothy E.

    2007-01-01

    The second case for this workshop builds upon the isolated synthetic jet of Case 1 by adding a crossflow, with no streamwise pressure gradient, for the developing jet to interact with. Formally, Case 2 examines the interaction of a single, isolated, synthetic jet and a fully turbulent zero-pressure gradient boundary layer. The resulting flow has many of the characteristics that need to be modeled with fidelity if the results of the calculations are to serve as the basis for research and design with active flow control devices. These include the turbulence in the boundary layer, the time-evolution of the large vortical structure emanating from the jet orifice and its subsequent interaction with and distortion by the boundary layer turbulence, and the effect of the suction cycle on the boundary layer flow. In a synthetic jet, the flow through the orifice and out into the outer flowfield alternates between an exhaust and a suction cycle, driven by the contraction and expansion of a cavity internal to the actuator. In the present experiment, the volume changes in the internal cavity are accomplished by replacing one of the rigid walls of the cavity, the wall opposite the orifice exit, with a deformable wall. This flexible wall is driven by a bottom-mounted moveable piston. The piston is driven electro-mechanically. The synthetic jet issues into the external flow through a circular orifice. In the present experiment, this orifice has a diameter of 0.250 inches (6.35 mm). The flow is conceptually similar to that documented in Schaeffler [1]. To document the flow, several measurement techniques were utilized. The upstream boundary conditions (in-flow conditions), and several key phase-averaged velocity profiles were measured with a 3-component laser-Doppler velocimetry system. Phase-averaged velocity field measurements were made with both stereo digital particle image velocimetry and 2-D digital particle image velocimetry as the primary measurement system. Surface

  10. Flow Control on Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoils Using Vortex Generator Jets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Volino, Ralph J.; Ibrahim, Mounir B.; Kartuzova, Olga

    2010-01-01

    Motivation - Higher loading on Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) airfoils: Reduce airfoil count, weight, cost. Increase efficiency, and Limited by suction side separation. Growing understanding of transition, separation, wake effects: Improved models. Take advantage of wakes. Higher lift airfoils in use. Further loading increases may require flow control: Passive: trips, dimples, etc. Active: plasma actuators, vortex generator jets (VGJs). Can increased loading offset higher losses on high lift airfoils. Objectives: Advance knowledge of boundary layer separation and transition under LPT conditions. Demonstrate, improve understanding of separation control with pulsed VGJs. Produce detailed experimental data base. Test and develop computational models.

  11. Micro-mechanics of ionic electroactive polymer actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Punning, Andres; Põldsalu, Inga; Kaasik, Friedrich; Vunder, Veiko; Aabloo, Alvo

    2015-04-01

    Commonly, modeling of the bending behavior of the ionic electroactive polymer (IEAP) actuators is based on the classical mechanics of cantilever beam. It is acknowledged, that the actuation of the ionic electroactive polymer (IEAP) actuators is symmetric about the centroid - the convex side of the actuator is expanding and the concave side is contracting for exactly the same amount, while the thickness of the actuator remains invariant. Actuating the IEAP actuators and sensors under scanning electron microscope (SEM), in situ, reveals that for some types of them this approach is incorrect. Comparison of the SEM micrographs using the Digital Image Correction (DIC) method results with the precise strain distribution of the IEAP actuators in two directions: in the axial direction, and in the direction of thickness. This information, in turn, points to the physical processes taking place within the electrodes as well as membrane of the trilayer laminate of sub-millimeter thickness. Comparison of the EAP materials, engaged as an actuator as well as a sensor, reveals considerable differences between the micro-mechanics of the two modes.

  12. Robotic Arm Actuated by Electroactie Polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bar-Cohen, Y.; Xue, T.; Shaninpoor, M.; Simpson, J. O.; Smith, J.

    1998-01-01

    Actuators are used for many planetary and space applications. To meet the NASA goal to reduce the actuators size, mass, cost and power consumption, electroactie polymers (EAP) are being developed to induce large bending and longitudinal actuation strains.

  13. Low-Shock Pyrotechnic Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lucy, M. H.

    1984-01-01

    Miniature 1-ampere, 1-watt pyrotechnic actuator enclosed in flexible metal bellows. Bellows confines outgassing products, and pyrotechnic shock reduction achieved by action of bellows, gas cushion within device, and minimum use of pyrotechnic material. Actuator inexpensive, compact, and lightweight.

  14. Can the starpatch on Xi Bootis A be explained by using tangential flows?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Toner, Clifford G.; Labonte, Barry J.

    1991-01-01

    It is demonstrated that a modification of the starpatch model of Toner and Gray (1988), using tangential flows instead of an enhanced granulation velocity dispersion within the patch, is very successful at reproducing both the observed line asymmetry and the line broadening variations observed in the G8 dwarf Xi Boo A. Areal coverage of 10 percent + or - 3 percent of the visible disk, latitude 30 deg + or - 4 deg, mean brightness 0.85 + or - 0.05 relative to the 'quiet' photosphere, mean tangential flow velocities of 8.0 + or - 1.5 km/s, and dispersions about the mean of 8/0 + or - 2.0 km/s are inferred for the patch. A feature at a latitude of about 30 deg is inferred which covers about 10 percent of the visible disk and is 10-20 percent fainter than the rest of the photosphere. It is inferred that 70-80 percent of the patch is penumbra.

  15. The jet-disk symbiosis without maximal jets: 1D hydrodynamical jets revisited

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crumley, Patrick; Ceccobello, Chiara; Connors, Riley M. T.; Cavecchi, Yuri

    2017-05-01

    In this work we discuss the recent criticism by Zdziarski (2016, A&A, 586, A18) of the maximal jet model derived in Falcke & Biermann (1995, A&A, 293, 665). We agree with Zdziarski that in general a jet's internal energy is not bounded by its rest-mass energy density. We describe the effects of the mistake on conclusions that have been made using the maximal jet model and show when a maximal jet is an appropriate assumption. The maximal jet model was used to derive a 1D hydrodynamical model of jets in agnjet, a model that does multiwavelength fitting of quiescent/hard state X-ray binaries and low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. We correct algebraic mistakes made in the derivation of the 1D Euler equation and relax the maximal jet assumption. We show that the corrections cause minor differences as long as the jet has a small opening angle and a small terminal Lorentz factor. We find that the major conclusion from the maximal jet model, the jet-disk symbiosis, can be generally applied to astrophysical jets. We also show that isothermal jets are required to match the flat radio spectra seen in low-luminosity X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei, in agreement with other works.

  16. Tangential velocity measurement using interferometric MTI radar

    DOEpatents

    Doerry, Armin W.; Mileshosky, Brian P.; Bickel, Douglas L.

    2006-01-03

    Radar systems use time delay measurements between a transmitted signal and its echo to calculate range to a target. Ranges that change with time cause a Doppler offset in phase and frequency of the echo. Consequently, the closing velocity between target and radar can be measured by measuring the Doppler offset of the echo. The closing velocity is also known as radial velocity, or line-of-sight velocity. Doppler frequency is measured in a pulse-Doppler radar as a linear phase shift over a set of radar pulses during some Coherent Processing Interval (CPI). An Interferometric Moving Target Indicator (MTI) radar can be used to measure the tangential velocity component of a moving target. Multiple baselines, along with the conventional radial velocity measurement, allow estimating the true 3-D velocity of a target.

  17. A Model of the THUNDER Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Curtis, Alan R. D.

    1997-01-01

    A THUNDER actuator is a composite of three thin layers, a metal base, a piezoelectric wafer and a metal top cover, bonded together under pressure and at high temperature with the LaRC SI polyimid adhesive. When a voltage is applied between the metal layers across the PZT the actuator will bend and can generate a force. This document develops and describes an analytical model the transduction properties of THUNDER actuators. The model development is divided into three sections. First, a static model is described that relates internal stresses and strains and external displacements to the thermal pre-stress and applied voltage. Second, a dynamic energy based model is described that allows calculation of the resonance frequencies, developed force and electrical input impedance. Finally, a fully coupled electro-mechanical transducer model is described. The model development proceeds by assuming that both the thermal pre-stress and the piezoelectric actuation cause the actuator to deform in a pure bend in a single plane. It is useful to think of this as a two step process, the actuator is held flat, differential stresses induce a bending moment, the actuator is released and it bends. The thermal pre-stress is caused by the different amounts that the constituent layers shrink due to their different coefficients of thermal expansion. The adhesive between layers sets at a high temperature and as the actuator cools, the metal layers shrink more than the PZT. The PZT layer is put into compression while the metal layers are in tension. The piezoelectric actuation has a similar effect. An applied voltage causes the PZT layer to strain, which in turn strains the two metal layers. If the PZT layer expands it will put the metal layers into tension and PZT layer into compression. In both cases, if shear force effects are neglected, the actuator assembly will experience a uniform in-plane strain. As the materials each have a different elastic modulus, different stresses will

  18. Mirrors Containing Biomimetic Shape-Control Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Mouroulis, Pantazis; Bao, Xiaoqi; Sherrit, Stewart

    2003-01-01

    Curved mirrors of a proposed type would comprise lightweight sheets or films containing integral, biologically inspired actuators for controlling their surface figures. These mirrors could be useful in such applications as collection of solar energy, focusing of radio beams, and (provided sufficient precision could be achieved) imaging. These mirrors were originally intended for use in outer space, but it should also be possible to develop terrestrial versions. Several prior NASA Tech Briefs articles have described a variety of approaches to the design of curved, lightweight mirrors containing integral shape-control actuators. The primary distinction between the present approach and the prior approaches lies in the actuator design concept, which involves shapes and movements reminiscent of those of a variety of small, multi-armed animals. The shape and movement of an actuator of this type can also be characterized as reminiscent of that of an umbrella. This concept can be further characterized as a derivative of that of multifinger grippers, the fingers of which are bimorph bending actuators (see Figure 1). The fingers of such actuators can be strips containing any of a variety of materials that have been investigated for use as actuators, including such electroactive polymers as ionomeric polymer/metal composites (IPMCs), ferroelectric polymers, and grafted elastomers. A mirror according to this proposal would be made from a sheet of one of the actuator composites mentioned above. The design would involve many variables, including the pre-curvature and stiffness of the mirror sheet, the required precision of figure control, the required range of variation in focal length (see Figure 2), the required precision of figure control for imaging or non-imaging use, the bending and twisting moments needed to effect the required deformations, and voltage-tomoment coefficients of the actuators, and the voltages accordingly required for actuation. A typical design would call

  19. Tangential Field Changes in the Great Flare of 1990 May 24.

    PubMed

    Cameron; Sammis

    1999-11-01

    We examine the great (solar) flare of 1990 May 24 that occurred in active region NOAA 6063. The Big Bear Solar Observatory videomagnetograph Stokes V and I images show a change in the longitudinal field before and after the flare. Since the flare occurred near the limb, the change reflects a rearrangement of the tangential components of the magnetic field. These observations lack the 180 degrees ambiguity that characterizes vector magnetograms.

  20. Biomimetic photo-actuation: progress and challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dicker, Michael P. M.; Weaver, Paul M.; Rossiter, Jonathan M.; Bond, Ian P.; Faul, Charl F. J.

    2016-04-01

    Photo-actuation, such as that observed in the reversible sun-tracking movements of heliotropic plants, is produced by a complex, yet elegant series of processes. In the heliotropic leaf movements of the Cornish Mallow, photo-actuation involves the generation, transport and manipulation of chemical signals from a distributed network of sensors in the leaf veins to a specialized osmosis driven actuation region in the leaf stem. It is theorized that such an arrangement is both efficient in terms of materials use and operational energy conversion, as well as being highly robust. We concern ourselves with understanding and mimicking these light driven, chemically controlled actuating systems with the aim of generating intelligent structures which share the properties of efficiency and robustness that are so important to survival in Nature. In this work we present recent progress in mimicking these photo-actuating systems through remote light exposure of a metastable state photoacid and the resulting signal and energy transfer through solution to a pH-responsive hydrogel actuator. Reversible actuation strains of 20% were achieved from this arrangement, with modelling then employed to reveal the critical influence hydrogel pKa has on this result. Although the strong actuation achieved highlights the progress that has been made in replicating the principles of biomimetic photo-actuation, challenges such as photoacid degradation were also revealed. It is anticipated that current work can directly lead to the development of high-performance and low-cost solartrackers for increased photovoltaic energy capture and to the creation of new types of intelligent structures employing chemical control systems.

  1. Piezoelectric Actuator/Sensor Technology at Rockwell

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neurgaonkar, Ratnakar R.

    1996-01-01

    We describe the state-of-the art of piezoelectric materials based on perovskite and tungsten bronze families for sensor, actuator and smart structure applications. The microstructural defects in these materials have been eliminated to a large extent and the resulting materials exhibit exceedingly high performance for various applications. The performance of Rockwell actuators/sensors is at least 3 times better than commercially available products. These high performance actuators are being incorporated into various applications including, DOD, NASA and commercial. The multilayer actuator stacks fabricated from our piezoceramics are advantageous for sensing and high capacitance applications. In this presentation, we will describe the use of our high performance piezo-ceramics for actuators and sensors, including multilayer stacks and composite structures.

  2. Direct drive field actuator motors

    DOEpatents

    Grahn, Allen R.

    1998-01-01

    A positive-drive field actuator motor including a stator carrying at least one field actuator which changes in dimension responsive to application of an energy field, and at least one drive shoe movable by the dimensional changes of the field actuator to contact and move a rotor element with respect to the stator. Various embodiments of the motor are disclosed, and the rotor element may be moved linearly or arcuately.

  3. Thermostatic Valves Containing Silicone-Oil Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhandari, Pradeep; Birur, Gajanana C.; Bame, David P.; Karlmann, Paul B.; Prina, Mauro; Young, William; Fisher, Richard

    2009-01-01

    Flow-splitting and flow-mixing thermally actuated spool valves have been developed for controlling flows of a heat-transfer fluid in a temperature-regulation system aboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover. Valves like these could also be useful in terrestrial temperature-regulation systems, including automobile air-conditioning systems and general refrigeration systems. These valves are required to provide smoother actuation over a wider temperature range than the flow-splitting, thermally actuated spool valves used in the Mars Explorer Rover (MER). Also, whereas the MER valves are unstable (tending to oscillate) in certain transition temperature ranges, these valves are required not to oscillate. The MER valves are actuated by thermal expansion of a wax against spring-loaded piston rods (as in common automotive thermostats). The MSL valves contain similar actuators that utilize thermal expansion of a silicone oil, because silicone-oil actuators were found to afford greater and more nearly linear displacements, needed for smoother actuation, over the required wider temperature range. The MSL valves also feature improved spool designs that reflect greater understanding of fluid dynamics, consideration of pressure drops in valves, and a requirement for balancing of pressures in different flow branches.

  4. Fe₃O₄⁻Silicone Mixture as Flexible Actuator.

    PubMed

    Song, Kahye; Cha, Youngsu

    2018-05-08

    In this study, we introduce Fe₃O₄-silicone flexible composite actuators fabricated by combining silicone and iron oxide particles. The actuators exploit the flexibility of silicone and the electric conductivity of iron oxide particles. These actuators are activated by electrostatic force using the properties of the metal particles. Herein, we investigate the characteristic changes in actuation performance by increasing the concentration of iron oxide from 1% to 20%. The developed flexible actuators exhibit a resonant frequency near 3 Hz and their actuation amplitudes increase with increasing input voltage. We found that the actuator can move well at metal particle concentrations >2.5%. We also studied the changes in actuation behavior, depending on the portion of the Fe₃O₄-silicone in the length. Overall, we experimentally analyzed the characteristics of the newly proposed metal particle-silicone composite actuators.

  5. TECHNICAL NOTE: Actuation displacement performance change of pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators attached to a flat surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goo, Nam Seo; Phuoc Phan, Van; Park, Hoon Cheol

    2009-03-01

    Pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators such as RAINBOW, THUNDER™, and LIPCA have a curvature due to a mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion, which inevitably exists during the manufacturing process. This technical note provides an answer to the question of how their actuation displacement performance changes when the curved pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators are attached to a flat surface. Finite element analysis with the ANSYS™ program was used to calculate the stress distribution inside a LIPCA, one of the pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators, after the LIPCA was cured and attached to the flat surface. The change of actuation displacement performance can be explained in terms of the relation between the piezoelectric strain constants and internal stress. As a result of the curing and attachment to a flat surface, the two-dimensional stress state inside the piezoceramic layer leads to an expected increase of around 51% for the longitudinal piezoelectric strain constant. To confirm this result, we reconsider the experimental results of the actuation moment measurement of the LIPCA and bare lead zirconium titanate.

  6. Asymmetry of Radial and Symmetry of Tangential Neuronal Migration Pathways in Developing Human Fetal Brains

    PubMed Central

    Miyazaki, Yuta; Song, Jae W.; Takahashi, Emi

    2016-01-01

    The radial and tangential neural migration pathways are two major neuronal migration streams in humans that are critical during corticogenesis. Corticogenesis is a complex process of neuronal proliferation that is followed by neuronal migration and the formation of axonal connections. Existing histological assessments of these two neuronal migration pathways have limitations inherent to microscopic studies and are confined to small anatomic regions of interest (ROIs). Thus, little evidence is available about their three-dimensional (3-D) fiber pathways and development throughout the entire brain. In this study, we imaged and analyzed radial and tangential migration pathways in the whole human brain using high-angular resolution diffusion MR imaging (HARDI) tractography. We imaged ten fixed, postmortem fetal (17 gestational weeks (GW), 18 GW, 19 GW, three 20 GW, three 21 GW and 22 GW) and eight in vivo newborn (two 30 GW, 34 GW, 35 GW and four 40 GW) brains with no neurological/pathological conditions. We statistically compared the volume of the left and right radial and tangential migration pathways, and the volume of the radial migration pathways of the anterior and posterior regions of the brain. In specimens 22 GW or younger, the volume of radial migration pathways of the left hemisphere was significantly larger than that of the right hemisphere. The volume of posterior radial migration pathways was also larger when compared to the anterior pathways in specimens 22 GW or younger. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the radial migration pathways of brains older than 22 GW. Moreover, our study did not identify any significant differences in volumetric laterality in the tangential migration pathways. These results suggest that these two neuronal migration pathways develop and regress differently, and radial neuronal migration varies regionally based on hemispheric and anterior-posterior laterality, potentially explaining regional differences in

  7. Remotely-actuated biomedical switch

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, R. D.

    1969-01-01

    Remotely-actuated biomedical switching circuit using transistors consumes no power in the off position and can be actuated by a single-frequency telemetry pulse to control implanted instrumentation. Silicon controlled rectifiers permit the circuit design which imposes zero drain on supply batteries when not in use.

  8. Twin Jet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Henderson, Brenda; Bozak, Rick

    2010-01-01

    Many subsonic and supersonic vehicles in the current fleet have multiple engines mounted near one another. Some future vehicle concepts may use innovative propulsion systems such as distributed propulsion which will result in multiple jets mounted in close proximity. Engine configurations with multiple jets have the ability to exploit jet-by-jet shielding which may significantly reduce noise. Jet-by-jet shielding is the ability of one jet to shield noise that is emitted by another jet. The sensitivity of jet-by-jet shielding to jet spacing and simulated flight stream Mach number are not well understood. The current experiment investigates the impact of jet spacing, jet operating condition, and flight stream Mach number on the noise radiated from subsonic and supersonic twin jets.

  9. Microwave Power for Smart Membrane Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Choi, Sang H.; Song, Kyo D.; Golembiewski, Walter T.; Chu, Sang-Hyon; King, Glen C.

    2002-01-01

    The concept of microwave-driven smart membrane actuators is envisioned as the best option to alleviate the complexity associated with hard-wired control circuitry. A large, ultra-light space structure, such as solar sails and Gossamer spacecrafts, requires a distribution of power into individual membrane actuators to control them in an effective way. A patch rectenna array with a high voltage output was developed to drive smart membrane actuators. Networked patch rectenna array receives and converts microwave power into a DC power for an array of smart actuators. To use microwave power effectively, the concept of a power allocation and distribution (PAD) circuit is developed and tested for networking a rectenna/actuator patch array. For the future development, the PAD circuit could be imbedded into a single embodiment of rectenna and actuator array with the thin-film microcircuit embodiment. Preliminary design and fabrication of PAD circuitry that consists of a sixteen nodal elements were made for laboratory testing.

  10. Series Elastic Actuators for legged robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pratt, Jerry E.; Krupp, Benjamin T.

    2004-09-01

    Series Elastic Actuators provide many benefits in force control of robots in unconstrained environments. These benefits include high force fidelity, extremely low impedance, low friction, and good force control bandwidth. Series Elastic Actuators employ a novel mechanical design architecture which goes against the common machine design principal of "stiffer is better." A compliant element is placed between the gear train and driven load to intentionally reduce the stiffness of the actuator. A position sensor measures the deflection, and the force output is accurately calculated using Hooke"s Law (F=Kx). A control loop then servos the actuator to the desired output force. The resulting actuator has inherent shock tolerance, high force fidelity and extremely low impedance. These characteristics are desirable in many applications including legged robots, exoskeletons for human performance amplification, robotic arms, haptic interfaces, and adaptive suspensions. We describe several variations of Series Elastic Actuators that have been developed using both electric and hydraulic components.

  11. Linear Proof Mass Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holloway, Sidney E., III

    1994-01-01

    This paper describes the mechanical design, analysis, fabrication, testing, and lessons learned by developing a uniquely designed spaceflight-like actuator. The linear proof mass actuator (LPMA) was designed to attach to both a large space structure and a ground test model without modification. Previous designs lacked the power to perform in a terrestrial environment while other designs failed to produce the desired accelerations or frequency range for spaceflight applications. Thus, the design for a unique actuator was conceived and developed at NASA Langley Research Center. The basic design consists of four large mechanical parts (mass, upper housing, lower housing, and center support) and numerous smaller supporting components including an accelerometer, encoder, and four drive motors. Fabrication personnel were included early in the design phase of the LPMA as part of an integrated manufacturing process to alleviate potential difficulties in machining an already challenging design. Operating testing of the LPMA demonstrated that the actuator is capable of various types of load functions.

  12. Linear Proof Mass Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holloway, S. E., III

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes the mechanical design, analysis, fabrication, testing, and lessons learned by developing a uniquely designed spaceflight-like actuator. The Linear Proof Mass Actuator (LPMA) was designed to attach to both a large space structure and a ground test model without modification. Previous designs lacked the power to perform in a terrestrial environment while other designs failed to produce the desired accelerations or frequency range for spaceflight applications. Thus, the design for a unique actuator was conceived and developed at NASA Langley Research Center. The basic design consists of four large mechanical parts (Mass, Upper Housing, Lower Housing, and Center Support) and numerous smaller supporting components including an accelerometer, encoder, and four drive motors. Fabrication personnel were included early in the design phase of the LPMA as part of an integrated manufacturing process to alleviate potential difficulties in machining an already challenging design. Operational testing of the LPMA demonstrated that the actuator is capable of various types of load functions.

  13. Development of a dry actuation conducting polymer actuator for micro-optical zoom lenses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Baek-Chul; Kim, Hyunseok; Nguyen, H. C.; Cho, M. S.; Lee, Y.; Nam, Jae-Do; Choi, Hyouk Ryeol; Koo, J. C.; Jeong, H.-S.

    2008-03-01

    The objective of the present work is to demonstrate the efficiency and feasibility of NBR (Nitrile Butadiene Rubber) based conducting polymer actuator that is fabricated into a micro zoon lens driver. Unlike the traditional conducting polymer that normally operates in a liquid, the proposed actuator successfully provides fairly effective driving performance for the zoom lens system in a dry environment. And this paper is including the experiment results for an efficiency improvement. The result suggested by an experiment was efficient in micro optical zoom lens system. In addition, the developed design method of actuator was given consideration to design the system.

  14. Fluidic self-actuating control assembly

    DOEpatents

    Grantz, Alan L.

    1979-01-01

    A fluidic self-actuating control assembly for use in a reactor wherein no external control inputs are required to actuate (scram) the system. The assembly is constructed to scram upon sensing either a sudden depressurization of reactor inlet flow or a sudden increase in core neutron flux. A fluidic control system senses abnormal flow or neutron flux transients and actuates the system, whereupon assembly coolant flow reverses, forcing absorber balls into the reactor core region.

  15. Direct drive field actuator motors

    DOEpatents

    Grahn, A.R.

    1998-03-10

    A positive-drive field actuator motor is described which includes a stator carrying at least one field actuator which changes in dimension responsive to application of an energy field, and at least one drive shoe movable by the dimensional changes of the field actuator to contact and move a rotor element with respect to the stator. Various embodiments of the motor are disclosed, and the rotor element may be moved linearly or arcuately. 62 figs.

  16. Direct-drive field actuator motors

    DOEpatents

    Grahn, Allen R.

    1995-01-01

    A high-torque, low speed, positive-drive field actuator motor including a stator carrying at least one field actuator which changes in dimension responsive to application of an energy field, and at least one drive shoe movable by the dimensional changes of the field actuator to contact and move a rotor element with respect to the stator. Various embodiments of the motor are disclosed, and the rotor element may be moved linearly or arcuately.

  17. Bi-stable optical element actuator device

    DOEpatents

    Holdener, Fred R.; Boyd, Robert D.

    2002-01-01

    The present invention is a bistable optical element actuator device utilizing a powered means to move an actuation arm, to which an optical element is attached, between two stable positions. A non-powered means holds the actuation arm in either of the two stable positions. The optical element may be a electromagnetic (EM) radiation or particle source, an instrument, or EM radiation or particle transmissive reflective or absorptive elements. A bearing is used to transfer motion and smoothly transition the actuation arm between the two stable positions.

  18. Analysis of a Chevron Beam Thermal Actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Amey Sanjay; Mohammed, Hussain; Kulkarni, S. M., Dr.

    2018-02-01

    Thermal MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) actuators and sensors have a wide range of applications. The chevron type thermal actuators comparatively show superior performance over other existing electrostatic and thermal actuators. This paper describes the design and analysis of chevron type thermal actuator. Here standard design of Chevron type thermal actuator is considered which comprises of proof mass at center and array of six beams of a uniform cross section of 3 3 microns and an initial angle of 5°. The thermal actuator was designed and analyzed using analytical and finite element method and the results were compared. The model was also analyzed for initial angles of 2.5° and 7.5°, and the results were compared with FEA model. The cross section of the beam was varied and the finite element analysis of all three models was compared to suggest the best suitable thermal actuator structure.

  19. Soft actuators and soft actuating devices

    DOEpatents

    Yang, Dian; Whitesides, George M.

    2017-10-17

    A soft buckling linear actuator is described, including: a plurality of substantially parallel bucklable, elastic structural components each having its longest dimension along a first axis; and a plurality of secondary structural components each disposed between and bridging two adjacent bucklable, elastic structural components; wherein every two adjacent bucklable, elastic structural components and the secondary structural components in-between define a layer comprising a plurality of cells each capable of being connected with a fluid inflation or deflation source; the secondary structural components from two adjacent layers are not aligned along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and the secondary structural components are configured not to buckle, the bucklable, elastic structural components are configured to buckle along the second axis to generate a linear force, upon the inflation or deflation of the cells. Methods of actuation using the same are also described.

  20. Drag reduction and thrust generation by tangential surface motion in flow past a cylinder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Xuerui; Pearson, Emily

    2018-03-01

    Sensitivity of drag to tangential surface motion is calculated in flow past a circular cylinder in both two- and three-dimensional conditions at Reynolds number Re ≤ 1000 . The magnitude of the sensitivity maximises in the region slightly upstream of the separation points where the contour lines of spanwise vorticity are normal to the cylinder surface. A control to reduce drag can be obtained by (negatively) scaling the sensitivity. The high correlation of sensitivities of controlled and uncontrolled flow indicates that the scaled sensitivity is a good approximation of the nonlinear optimal control. It is validated through direct numerical simulations that the linear range of the steady control is much higher than the unsteady control, which synchronises the vortex shedding and induces lock-in effects. The steady control injects angular momentum into the separating boundary layer, stabilises the flow and increases the base pressure significantly. At Re=100 , when the maximum tangential motion reaches 50% of the free-stream velocity, the vortex shedding, boundary-layer separation and recirculation bubbles are eliminated and 32% of the drag is reduced. When the maximum tangential motion reaches 2.5 times of the free-stream velocity, thrust is generated and the power savings ratio, defined as the ratio of the reduced drag power to the control input power, reaches 19.6. The mechanism of drag reduction is attributed to the change of the radial gradient of spanwise vorticity (partial r \\hat{ζ } ) and the subsequent accelerated pressure recovery from the uncontrolled separation points to the rear stagnation point.

  1. Numerical simulation of the actuation system for the ALDF's propulsion control valve. [Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korte, John J.

    1990-01-01

    A numerical simulation of the actuation system for the propulsion control valve (PCV) of the NASA Langley Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility was developed during the preliminary design of the PCV and used throughout the entire project. The simulation is based on a predictive model of the PCV which is used to evaluate and design the actuation system. The PCV controls a 1.7 million-pound thrust water jet used in propelling a 108,000-pound test carriage. The PCV can open and close in 0.300 second and deliver over 9,000 gallons of water per sec at pressures up to 3150 psi. The numerical simulation results are used to predict transient performance and valve opening characteristics, specify the hydraulic control system, define transient loadings on components, and evaluate failure modes. The mathematical model used for numerically simulating the mechanical fluid power system is described, and numerical results are demonstrated for a typical opening and closing cycle of the PCV. A summary is then given on how the model is used in the design process.

  2. Two position optical element actuator device

    DOEpatents

    Holdener, Fred R.; Boyd, Robert D.

    2002-01-01

    The present invention is a two position optical element actuator device utilizing a powered means to hold an actuation arm, to which an optical element is attached, in a first position. A non-powered means drives the actuation arm to a second position, when the powered means ceases to receive power. The optical element may be a electromagnetic (EM) radiation or particle source, an instrument, or EM radiation or particle transmissive, reflective or absorptive elements. A bearing is used to transfer motion and smoothly transition the actuation arm from the first to second position.

  3. Direct-drive field actuator motors

    DOEpatents

    Grahn, A.R.

    1995-07-11

    A high-torque, low speed, positive-drive field actuator motor is disclosed including a stator carrying at least one field actuator which changes in dimension responsive to application of an energy field, and at least one drive shoe movable by the dimensional changes of the field actuator to contact and move a rotor element with respect to the stator. Various embodiments of the motor are disclosed, and the rotor element may be moved linearly or arcuately. 37 figs.

  4. Bi-stable optical actuator

    DOEpatents

    Holdener, Fred R.; Boyd, Robert D.

    2000-01-01

    The present invention is a bi-stable optical actuator device that is depowered in both stable positions. A bearing is used to transfer motion and smoothly transition from one state to another. The optical actuator device may be maintained in a stable position either by gravity or a restraining device.

  5. Polybenzoxazole Nanofiber-Reinforced Moisture-Responsive Soft Actuators.

    PubMed

    Chen, Meiling; Frueh, Johannes; Wang, Daolin; Lin, Xiankun; Xie, Hui; He, Qiang

    2017-04-10

    Hydromorphic biological systems, such as morning glory flowers, pinecones, and awns, have inspired researchers to design moisture-sensitive soft actuators capable of directly converting the change of moisture into motion or mechanical work. Here, we report a moisture-sensitive poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) nanofiber (PBONF)-reinforced carbon nanotube/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CNT/PVA) bilayer soft actuator with fine performance on conductivity and mechanical properties. The embedded PBONFs not only assist CNTs to form a continuous, conductive film, but also enhance the mechanical performance of the actuators. The PBONF-reinforced CNT/PVA bilayer actuators can unsymmetrically adsorb and desorb water, resulting in a reversible deformation. More importantly, the actuators show a pronounced increase of conductivity due to the deformation induced by the moisture change, which allows the integration of a moisture-sensitive actuator and a humidity sensor. Upon changing the environmental humidity, the actuators can respond by the deformation for shielding and report the humidity change in a visual manner, which has been demonstrated by a tweezer and a curtain. Such nanofiber-reinforced bilayer actuators with the sensing capability should hold considerable promise for the applications such as soft robots, sensors, intelligent switches, integrated devices, and material storage.

  6. 35 Hz shape memory alloy actuator with bending-twisting mode.

    PubMed

    Song, Sung-Hyuk; Lee, Jang-Yeob; Rodrigue, Hugo; Choi, Ik-Seong; Kang, Yeon June; Ahn, Sung-Hoon

    2016-02-19

    Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) materials are widely used as an actuating source for bending actuators due to their high power density. However, due to the slow actuation speed of SMAs, there are limitations in their range of possible applications. This paper proposes a smart soft composite (SSC) actuator capable of fast bending actuation with large deformations. To increase the actuation speed of SMA actuator, multiple thin SMA wires are used to increase the heat dissipation for faster cooling. The actuation characteristics of the actuator at different frequencies are measured with different actuator lengths and results show that resonance can be used to realize large deformations up to 35 Hz. The actuation characteristics of the actuator can be modified by changing the design of the layered reinforcement structure embedded in the actuator, thus the natural frequency and length of an actuator can be optimized for a specific actuation speed. A model is used to compare with the experimental results of actuators with different layered reinforcement structure designs. Also, a bend-twist coupled motion using an anisotropic layered reinforcement structure at a speed of 10 Hz is also realized. By increasing their range of actuation characteristics, the proposed actuator extends the range of application of SMA bending actuators.

  7. Actuators Using Piezoelectric Stacks and Displacement Enhancers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Walkenmeyer, Phillip; Lih, Shyh-Shiuh

    2015-01-01

    Actuators are used to drive all active mechanisms including machines, robots, and manipulators to name a few. The actuators are responsible for moving, manipulating, displacing, pushing and executing any action that is needed by the mechanism. There are many types and principles of actuation that are responsible for these movements ranging from electromagnetic, electroactive, thermo-mechanic, piezoelectric, electrostrictive etc. Actuators are readily available from commercial producers but there is a great need for reducing their size, increasing their efficiency and reducing their weight. Studies at JPL’s Non Destructive Evaluation and Advanced Actuators (NDEAA) Laboratory have been focused on the use of piezoelectric stacks and novel designs taking advantage of piezoelectric’s potential to provide high torque/force density actuation and high electromechanical conversion efficiency. The actuators/motors that have been developed and reviewed in this paper are operated by various horn configurations as well as the use of pre-stress flexures that make them thermally stable and increases their coupling efficiency. The use of monolithic designs that pre-stress the piezoelectric stack eliminates the use of compression stress bolt. These designs enable the embedding of developed solid-state motors/actuators in any structure with the only macroscopically moving parts are the rotor or the linear translator. Finite element modeling and design tools were used to determine the requirements and operation parameters and the results were used to simulate, design and fabricate novel actuators/motors. The developed actuators and performance will be described and discussed in this paper.

  8. Magnetic Actuation of Biological Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lauback, Stephanie D.

    Central to the advancement of many biomedical and nanotechnology capabilities is the capacity to precisely control the motion of micro and nanostructures. These applications range from single molecule experiments to cell isolation and separation, to drug delivery and nanomachine manipulation. This dissertation focuses on actuation of biological micro- and nano-entities through the use of weak external magnetic fields, superparamagnetic beads, and ferromagnetic thin films. The magnetic platform presents an excellent method for actuation of biological systems due to its ability to directly control the motion of an array of micro and nanostructures in real-time with calibrated picoNewton forces. The energy landscape of two ferromagnetic thin film patterns (disks and zigzag wires) is experimentally explored and compared to corresponding theoretical models to quantify the applied forces and trajectories of superparamagnetic beads due to the magnetic traps. A magnetic method to directly actuate DNA nanomachines in real-time with nanometer resolution and sub-second response times using micromagnetic control was implemented through the use of stiff DNA micro-levers which bridged the large length scale mismatch between the micro-actuator and the nanomachine. Compared to current alternative methods which are limited in the actuation speeds and the number of reconfiguration states of DNA constructs, this magnetic approach enables fast actuation (˜ milliseconds) and reconfigurable conformations achieved through a continuous range of finely tuned steps. The system was initially tested through actuation of the stiff arm tethered to the surface, and two prototype DNA nanomachines (rotor and hinge) were successfully actuated using the stiff mechanical lever. These results open new possibilities in the development of functional robotic systems at the molecular scale. In exploiting the use of DNA stiff levers, a new technique was also developed to investigate the emergence of the

  9. Spooled packaging of shape memory alloy actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Redmond, John A.

    A vast cross-section of transportation, manufacturing, consumer product, and medical technologies rely heavily on actuation. Accordingly, progress in these industries is often strongly coupled to the advancement of actuation technologies. As the field of actuation continues to evolve, smart materials show significant promise for satisfying the growing needs of industry. In particular, shape memory alloy (SMA) wire actuators present an opportunity for low-cost, high performance actuation, but until now, they have been limited or restricted from use in many otherwise suitable applications by the difficulty in packaging the SMA wires within tight or unusually shaped form constraints. To address this packaging problem, SMA wires can be spool-packaged by wrapping around mandrels to make the actuator more compact or by redirecting around multiple mandrels to customize SMA wire pathways to unusual form factors. The goal of this dissertation is to develop the scientific knowledge base for spooled packaging of low-cost SMA wire actuators that enables high, predictable performance within compact, customizable form factors. In developing the scientific knowledge base, this dissertation defines a systematic general representation of single and multiple mandrel spool-packaged SMA actuators and provides tools for their analysis, understanding, and synthesis. A quasi-static analytical model distills the underlying mechanics down to the three effects of friction, bending, and binding, which enables prediction of the behavior of generic spool-packaged SMA actuators with specifiable geometric, loading, frictional, and SMA material parameters. An extensive experimental and simulation-based parameter study establishes the necessary understanding of how primary design tradeoffs between performance, packaging, and cost are governed by the underlying mechanics of spooled actuators. A design methodology outlines a systematic approach to synthesizing high performance SMA wire actuators

  10. Reliable actuators for twin rotor MIMO system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Vidya S.; V. I, George; Kamath, Surekha; Shreesha, C.

    2017-11-01

    Twin Rotor MIMO System (TRMS) is a bench mark system to test flight control algorithms. One of the perturbations on TRMS which is likely to affect the control system is actuator failure. Therefore, there is a need for a reliable control system, which includes H infinity controller along with redundant actuators. Reliable control refers to the design of a control system to tolerate failures of a certain set of actuators or sensors while retaining desired control system properties. Output of reliable controller has to be transferred to the redundant actuator effectively to make the TRMS reliable even under actual actuator failure.

  11. A piezoelectric bone-conduction bending hearing actuator.

    PubMed

    Adamson, R B A; Bance, M; Brown, J A

    2010-10-01

    A prototype of a novel bone-conduction hearing actuator based on a piezoelectric bending actuator is presented. The device lies flat against the skull which would allow it to form the basis of a subcutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid. The actuator excites bending in bone through a local bending moment rather than the application of a point force as with conventional bone-anchored hearing aids. Through measurements of the cochlear velocity created by the actuator in embalmed human heads, the device is shown to exhibit high efficiency, making it a possible alternative to present-day electromagnetic bone-vibration actuators.

  12. Silkworm protein: its possibility as an actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Hyoung-Joon; Myung, Seung Jun; Kim, Heung Soo; Jung, Woochul; Kim, Jaehwan

    2006-03-01

    The possibility of silkworm (Bombyx mori) protein as a base material of biomimetic actuator was investigated in this paper. Silkworm films were prepared from high concentrations of regenerated fibroin in aqueous solution. Films with thickness of about 100 μm were prepared for coating electrodes. The cast silk films were coated by very thin gold electrode on both sides of the film. Tensile test of cast film showed bi-modal trend, which is typical stress-strain relation of polymeric film. As the test of a possible biomimetic actuator, silkworm film actuator provides bending deformations according to the magnitude and frequency of the applied electric filed. Although the present bending deformation of silkworm film actuator is smaller than that of Electro-Active Paper actuator, it provides the possibility of biomimetic actuator.

  13. Compact, Low-Force, Low-Noise Linear Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Badescu, Mircea; Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

    2012-01-01

    Actuators are critical to all the robotic and manipulation mechanisms that are used in current and future NASA missions, and are also needed for many other industrial, aeronautical, and space activities. There are many types of actuators that were designed to operate as linear or rotary motors, but there is still a need for low-force, low-noise linear actuators for specialized applications, and the disclosed mechanism addresses this need. A simpler implementation of a rotary actuator was developed where the end effector controls the motion of a brush for cleaning a thermal sensor. The mechanism uses a SMA (shape-memory alloy) wire for low force, and low noise. The linear implementation of the actuator incorporates a set of springs and mechanical hard-stops for resetting and fault tolerance to mechanical resistance. The actuator can be designed to work in a pull or push mode, or both. Depending on the volume envelope criteria, the actuator can be configured for scaling its volume down to 4 2 1 cm3. The actuator design has an inherent fault tolerance to mechanical resistance. The actuator has the flexibility of being designed for both linear and rotary motion. A specific configuration was designed and analyzed where fault-tolerant features have been implemented. In this configuration, an externally applied force larger than the design force does not damage the active components of the actuator. The actuator housing can be configured and produced using cost-effective methods such as injection molding, or alternatively, its components can be mounted directly on a small circuit board. The actuator is driven by a SMA -NiTi as a primary active element, and it requires energy on the order of 20 Ws(J) per cycle. Electrical connections to points A and B are used to apply electrical power in the resistive NiTi wire, causing a phase change that contracts the wire on the order of 5%. The actuation period is of the order of a second for generating the stroke, and 4 to 10 seconds

  14. Compact, Low-Force, Low-Noise Linear Actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Badescu, Mircea; Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

    2012-01-01

    Actuators are critical to all the robotic and manipulation mechanisms that are used in current and future NASA missions, and are also needed for many other industrial, aeronautical, and space activities. There are many types of actuators that were designed to operate as linear or rotary motors, but there is still a need for low-force, low-noise linear actuators for specialized applications, and the disclosed mechanism addresses this need. A simpler implementation of a rotary actuator was developed where the end effector controls the motion of a brush for cleaning a thermal sensor. The mechanism uses a SMA (shape-memory alloy) wire for low force, and low noise. The linear implementation of the actuator incorporates a set of springs and mechanical hard-stops for resetting and fault tolerance to mechanical resistance. The actuator can be designed to work in a pull or push mode, or both. Depending on the volume envelope criteria, the actuator can be configured for scaling its volume down to 4x2x1 cu cm. The actuator design has an inherent fault tolerance to mechanical resistance. The actuator has the flexibility of being designed for both linear and rotary motion. A specific configuration was designed and analyzed where fault-tolerant features have been implemented. In this configuration, an externally applied force larger than the design force does not damage the active components of the actuator. The actuator housing can be configured and produced using cost-effective methods such as injection molding, or alternatively, its components can be mounted directly on a small circuit board. The actuator is driven by a SMA -NiTi as a primary active element, and it requires energy on the order of 20 Ws(J) per cycle. Electrical connections to points A and B are used to apply electrical power in the resistive NiTi wire, causing a phase change that contracts the wire on the order of 5%. The actuation period is of the order of a second for generating the stroke, and 4 to 10

  15. Jet angularity measurements for single inclusive jet production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Zhong-Bo; Lee, Kyle; Ringer, Felix

    2018-04-01

    We study jet angularity measurements for single-inclusive jet production at the LHC. Jet angularities depend on a continuous parameter a allowing for a smooth interpolation between different traditional jet shape observables. We establish a factorization theorem within Soft Collinear Effective Theory (SCET) where we consistently take into account in- and out-of-jet radiation by making use of semi-inclusive jet functions. For comparison, we elaborate on the differences to jet angularities measured on an exclusive jet sample. All the necessary ingredients for the resummation at next-to-leading logarithmic (NLL) accuracy are presented within the effective field theory framework. We expect semiinclusive jet angularity measurements to be feasible at the LHC and we present theoretical predictions for the relevant kinematic range. In addition, we investigate the potential impact of jet angularities for quark-gluon discrimination.

  16. Hydraulically actuated artificial muscles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meller, M. A.; Tiwari, R.; Wajcs, K. B.; Moses, C.; Reveles, I.; Garcia, E.

    2012-04-01

    Hydraulic Artificial Muscles (HAMs) consisting of a polymer tube constrained by a nylon mesh are presented in this paper. Despite the actuation mechanism being similar to its popular counterpart, which are pneumatically actuated (PAM), HAMs have not been studied in depth. HAMs offer the advantage of compliance, large force to weight ratio, low maintenance, and low cost over traditional hydraulic cylinders. Muscle characterization for isometric and isobaric tests are discussed and compared to PAMs. A model incorporating the effect of mesh angle and friction have also been developed. In addition, differential swelling of the muscle on actuation has also been included in the model. An application of lab fabricated HAMs for a meso-scale robotic system is also presented.

  17. Lead magnesium niobate actuator for micropositioning

    DOEpatents

    Swift, Charles D.; Bergum, John W.

    1994-01-01

    An improved lead magnesium niobate actuator is disclosed comprising a cylindrical lead magnesium niobate crystal stack mounted in a cylindrical casing wherein a bias means, such as one or more belleville washers, is located between one end of the crystal stack and a partially closed end of the casing; and adjustment means are provided which bear against the opposite end of the crystal stack, whereby an adjustable compressive force is constantly applied against the crystal stack, whether the crystal stack is actuated in an extended position, or is in an unactuated contracted position. In a preferred embodiment, cooling ports are provided for the circulation of coolant in the actuator to cool the crystal stack, and provision is made for removal and replacement of the crystal stack without disconnecting the actuator from the external device being actuated.

  18. Lead magnesium niobate actuator for micropositioning

    DOEpatents

    Swift, C.D.; Bergum, J.W.

    1994-10-25

    An improved lead magnesium niobate actuator is disclosed comprising a cylindrical lead magnesium niobate crystal stack mounted in a cylindrical casing wherein a bias means, such as one or more belleville washers, is located between one end of the crystal stack and a partially closed end of the casing; and adjustment means are provided which bear against the opposite end of the crystal stack, whereby an adjustable compressive force is constantly applied against the crystal stack, whether the crystal stack is actuated in an extended position, or is in an unactuated contracted position. In a preferred embodiment, cooling ports are provided for the circulation of coolant in the actuator to cool the crystal stack, and provision is made for removal and replacement of the crystal stack without disconnecting the actuator from the external device being actuated. 3 figs.

  19. Force-deflection behavior of piezoelectric actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Ashok K.; Nagpal, Pawan

    2001-11-01

    In the present endeavour, force - deflection behavior of various piezoelectric actuator configurations has been analyzed for performance comparison. The response of stack actuator has been simulated using MATLAB Simulink, in a stack actuator-pendulum configuration. During simulation, stack actuator has been used in charge control feedback mode, because of the advantage of low hysteresis, and high linearity. The model incorporates three compensation blocks, viz 1) a PID position controller, 2) a PI piezoelectric current controller, and 3) a dynamic force feedback. A typical stack actuator, having 130 layers, 1.20x10-4 m thickness, 3.46x10-5m2 cross sectional area, of PZT-5H type, has been utilized for simulation. The response of the system has been tested by applying a sinusoidal input of frequency 500 Hz, and waveform amplitude of 1x10-3V.

  20. Genetic Algorithm Approaches for Actuator Placement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crossley, William A.

    2000-01-01

    This research investigated genetic algorithm approaches for smart actuator placement to provide aircraft maneuverability without requiring hinged flaps or other control surfaces. The effort supported goals of the Multidisciplinary Design Optimization focus efforts in NASA's Aircraft au program. This work helped to properly identify various aspects of the genetic algorithm operators and parameters that allow for placement of discrete control actuators/effectors. An improved problem definition, including better definition of the objective function and constraints, resulted from this research effort. The work conducted for this research used a geometrically simple wing model; however, an increasing number of potential actuator placement locations were incorporated to illustrate the ability of the GA to determine promising actuator placement arrangements. This effort's major result is a useful genetic algorithm-based approach to assist in the discrete actuator/effector placement problem.

  1. Shape-Memory-Alloy Actuator For Flight Controls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barret, Chris

    1995-01-01

    Report proposes use of shape-memory-alloy actuators, instead of hydraulic actuators, for aerodynamic flight-control surfaces. Actuator made of shape-memory alloy converts thermal energy into mechanical work by changing shape as it makes transitions between martensitic and austenitic crystalline phase states of alloy. Because both hot exhaust gases and cryogenic propellant liquids available aboard launch rockets, shape-memory-alloy actuators exceptionally suited for use aboard such rockets.

  2. Thermally Actuated Hydraulic Pumps

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Jack; Ross, Ronald; Chao, Yi

    2008-01-01

    Thermally actuated hydraulic pumps have been proposed for diverse applications in which direct electrical or mechanical actuation is undesirable and the relative slowness of thermal actuation can be tolerated. The proposed pumps would not contain any sliding (wearing) parts in their compressors and, hence, could have long operational lifetimes. The basic principle of a pump according to the proposal is to utilize the thermal expansion and contraction of a wax or other phase-change material in contact with a hydraulic fluid in a rigid chamber. Heating the chamber and its contents from below to above the melting temperature of the phase-change material would cause the material to expand significantly, thus causing a substantial increase in hydraulic pressure and/or a substantial displacement of hydraulic fluid out of the chamber. Similarly, cooling the chamber and its contents from above to below the melting temperature of the phase-change material would cause the material to contract significantly, thus causing a substantial decrease in hydraulic pressure and/or a substantial displacement of hydraulic fluid into the chamber. The displacement of the hydraulic fluid could be used to drive a piston. The figure illustrates a simple example of a hydraulic jack driven by a thermally actuated hydraulic pump. The pump chamber would be a cylinder containing encapsulated wax pellets and containing radial fins to facilitate transfer of heat to and from the wax. The plastic encapsulation would serve as an oil/wax barrier and the remaining interior space could be filled with hydraulic oil. A filter would retain the encapsulated wax particles in the pump chamber while allowing the hydraulic oil to flow into and out of the chamber. In one important class of potential applications, thermally actuated hydraulic pumps, exploiting vertical ocean temperature gradients for heating and cooling as needed, would be used to vary hydraulic pressures to control buoyancy in undersea research

  3. Optically Isolated Control of the MOCHI LabJet High Power Pulsed Plasma Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carroll, Evan; Quinley, Morgan; von der Linden, Jens; You, Setthivoine

    2014-10-01

    The MOCHI LabJet experiment designed to investigate the dynamics of astrophysical jets at the University of Washington, requires high energy pulsed power supplies for plasma generation and sustainment. Two 600 μ F, 10 kV DC, pulse forming, power supplies have been specifically developed for this application. For safe and convenient user operation, the power supplies are controlled remotely with optical isolation. Three input voltage signals are required for relay actuation, adjusting bank charging voltage, and to fire the experiment: long duration DC signals, long duration user adjustable DC signals and fast trigger pulses with < μ s rise times. These voltage signals are generated from National Instruments timing cards via LabVIEW and are converted to optical signals by coupling photodiodes with custom electronic circuits. At the experiment, the optical signals are converted back to usable voltage signals using custom circuits. These custom circuits and experimental set-up are presented. This work is supported by US DOE Grant DE-SC0010340.

  4. Integrated piezoelectric actuators in deep drawing tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neugebauer, R.; Mainda, P.; Drossel, W.-G.; Kerschner, M.; Wolf, K.

    2011-04-01

    The production of car body panels are defective in succession of process fluctuations. Thus the produced car body panel can be precise or damaged. To reduce the error rate, an intelligent deep drawing tool was developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU in cooperation with Audi and Volkswagen. Mechatronic components in a closed-loop control is the main differentiating factor between an intelligent and a conventional deep drawing tool. In correlation with sensors for process monitoring, the intelligent tool consists of piezoelectric actuators to actuate the deep drawing process. By enabling the usage of sensors and actuators at the die, the forming tool transform to a smart structure. The interface between sensors and actuators will be realized with a closed-loop control. The content of this research will present the experimental results with the piezoelectric actuator. For the analysis a production-oriented forming tool with all automotive requirements were used. The disposed actuators are monolithic multilayer actuators of the piezo injector system. In order to achieve required force, the actuators are combined in a cluster. The cluster is redundant and economical. In addition to the detailed assembly structures, this research will highlight intensive analysis with the intelligent deep drawing tool.

  5. Flexible robotic actuators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morin, Stephen A.; Shepherd, Robert F.; Stokes, Adam

    Systems and methods for providing flexible robotic actuators are disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include a soft robot capable of providing a radial deflection motions; a soft tentacle actuator capable of providing a variety of motions and providing transportation means for various types of materials; and a hybrid robotic system that retains desirable characteristics of both soft robots and hard robots. Some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter also include methods for operating the disclosed robotic systems.

  6. The Development for Polymer Actuator Active Catheter System

    PubMed Central

    Sewa, S.; Onishi, K.; Oguro, K.; Asaka, K.; Taki, W.; Toma, N.

    2001-01-01

    Summary Electric stimuli polymer-metal composite actuator material has been developed for active catheter system and other widely new applications. The polymer actuator is made of ion exchange polymer and gold as electrode, and a pulse voltage of 3 volts on the actuator gave a quick bend 90 degree angle. This composite material is possible to make small size, light and soft actuator. So now we can actually develop an active catheter for the interventional radiology surgery. The prototype polymer actuator active catheter has been developed by using polymer actuator technology and Micro Electronics Mechanical System (MEMS) technologies. The active catheter is controllable from the outside of the body by electric signal. The tip part of the catheter is made of the polymer actuator tube and bends 90 degree angles. The animal tests (dog) showed good actuator performance to control right direction and bending angle at bifurcation of blood vessel and aneurysms. PMID:20663388

  7. DEMONSTRATION OF SORBENT INJECTION TECHNOLOGY ON A TANGENTIALLY COAL-FIRED UTILITY BOILER (YORKTOWN LIMB DEMONSTRATION)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report summarizes activities conducted and results achieved in an EPA-sponsored program to demonstrate Limestone Injection Multistage Burner (LIMB) technology on a tangentially fired coal-burning utility boiler, Virginia Power's 180-MWe Yorktown Unit No. 2. his successfully d...

  8. Proprioceptive Flexible Fluidic Actuators Using Conductive Working Fluids

    PubMed Central

    Rossiter, Jonathan

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Soft robotic systems generally require both soft actuators and soft sensors to perform complex functions. Separate actuators and sensors are often combined into one composite device when proprioception (self-sensing) is required. In this article, we introduce the concept of using a conductive liquid to perform both the sensing and actuation functions of a proprioceptive soft actuator. The working fluid drives actuator deformation while simultaneously acting as a strain-sensing component for detecting actuator deformation. The concept is examined and demonstrated in two proprioceptive flexible fluidic actuators (FFAs) that use conductive liquids as their working fluids: a linear actuator and a bending actuator. In both cases, we show that resistance can be used to infer strain. Some hysteresis and nonlinearity are present, but repeatability is high. The bandwidth of resistance as a sensing variable in the bending FFA is tested and found to be ∼3.665 Hz. Resistance is demonstrated as a feedback variable in a control loop, and the proprioceptive bending FFA is controlled to respond to step input and sinusoidal target functions. The effect of temperature on resistance–strain behavior is also examined, and we demonstrate how measurement of volume and resistance can be used to detect when the actuator is constrained. Biocompatible proprioceptive soft actuators such as those presented in this article are ideal for use in low-cost bionic healthcare components such as orthotics, prosthetics, or even replacement muscles. PMID:29211627

  9. Proprioceptive Flexible Fluidic Actuators Using Conductive Working Fluids.

    PubMed

    Helps, Tim; Rossiter, Jonathan

    2018-04-01

    Soft robotic systems generally require both soft actuators and soft sensors to perform complex functions. Separate actuators and sensors are often combined into one composite device when proprioception (self-sensing) is required. In this article, we introduce the concept of using a conductive liquid to perform both the sensing and actuation functions of a proprioceptive soft actuator. The working fluid drives actuator deformation while simultaneously acting as a strain-sensing component for detecting actuator deformation. The concept is examined and demonstrated in two proprioceptive flexible fluidic actuators (FFAs) that use conductive liquids as their working fluids: a linear actuator and a bending actuator. In both cases, we show that resistance can be used to infer strain. Some hysteresis and nonlinearity are present, but repeatability is high. The bandwidth of resistance as a sensing variable in the bending FFA is tested and found to be ∼3.665 Hz. Resistance is demonstrated as a feedback variable in a control loop, and the proprioceptive bending FFA is controlled to respond to step input and sinusoidal target functions. The effect of temperature on resistance-strain behavior is also examined, and we demonstrate how measurement of volume and resistance can be used to detect when the actuator is constrained. Biocompatible proprioceptive soft actuators such as those presented in this article are ideal for use in low-cost bionic healthcare components such as orthotics, prosthetics, or even replacement muscles.

  10. Modeling and Experimental Evaluation of Bending Behavior of Soft Pneumatic Actuators Made of Discrete Actuation Chambers.

    PubMed

    Alici, Gursel; Canty, Taylor; Mutlu, Rahim; Hu, Weiping; Sencadas, Vitor

    2018-02-01

    In this article, we have established an analytical model to estimate the quasi-static bending displacement (i.e., angle) of the pneumatic actuators made of two different elastomeric silicones (Elastosil M4601 with a bulk modulus of elasticity of 262 kPa and Translucent Soft silicone with a bulk modulus of elasticity of 48 kPa-both experimentally determined) and of discrete chambers, partially separated from each other with a gap in between the chambers to increase the magnitude of their bending angle. The numerical bending angle results from the proposed gray-box model, and the corresponding experimental results match well that the model is accurate enough to predict the bending behavior of this class of pneumatic soft actuators. Further, by using the experimental bending angle results and blocking force results, the effective modulus of elasticity of the actuators is estimated from a blocking force model. The numerical and experimental results presented show that the bending angle and blocking force models are valid for this class of pneumatic actuators. Another contribution of this study is to incorporate a bistable flexible thin metal typified by a tape measure into the topology of the actuators to prevent the deflection of the actuators under their own weight when operating in the vertical plane.

  11. Development of thermal actuators with multi-locking positions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, J. K.; Zhu, Y.; Fu, Y. Q.; Flewitt, A. J.; Spearing, S. M.; Miao, J. M.; Milne, W. I.

    2006-04-01

    To reduce power consumption and operation temperature for micro-thermal actuators, metal-based micro-mechanical locks with multi-locking positions were analyzed and fabricated. The micro-locks consist of two or three U-shaped thermal actuators. The devices were made by a single mask process using electroplated Ni as the active material. Tests showed that the metal based thermal actuators deliver a maximum displacement of ~20µm at a much lower temperature than that of Si-based actuators. However Ni-actuators showed a severe back bending, which increases with increasing applied power. The temperature to initiate the back bending is as low as ~240°C. Back bending increases the distance between the two actuators, and leads to locking function failure. For practical application, Ni-based thermal actuators must be operated below 200°C.

  12. Dielectric Elastomer Actuated Systems and Methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dubowsky, Steven (Inventor); Hafez, Moustapha (Inventor); Lichter, Matthew (Inventor); Weiss, Peter (Inventor); Wingert, Andreas (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    The system of the present invention includes an actuator having at least two electrodes, an elastomeric dielectric film disposed between the two electrodes, and a frame attached to the elastomeric dielectric film. The frame provides a linear actuation force characteristic over a displacement range. The displacement range is preferably the stroke of the actuator. The displacement range can be about 5 mm and greater. Further, the frame can include a plurality of configurations, for example, at least a rigid members coupled to a flexible member wherein the frame provides an elastic restoring force. In preferred embodiments, the rigid member can be, but is not limited to, curved beams, parallel beams, rods and plates. In a preferred embodiment the actuator can further include a passive element disposed between two flexible members such as, for example, links to tune a stiffness characteristic of the actuator. The passive element can be a bi-stable element. Further, the actuator can include a plurality of layers of the elastomeric dielectric film integrated into the frame. The elastomeric film can be made of different materials such as, for example, acrylic, silicone and latex.

  13. Misfire tolerant combustion-powered actuation

    DOEpatents

    Spletzer, Barry L.; Fischer, Gary J.; Marron, Lisa C.; Kuehl, Michael A.

    2001-01-01

    The present invention provides a combustion-powered actuator that is suitable for intermittent actuation, that is suitable for use with atmospheric pressure carburetion, and that requires little electrical energy input. The present invention uses energy from expansion of pressurized fuel to effectively purge a combustion chamber, and to achieve atmospheric pressure carburetion. Each purge-fill-power cycle can be independent, allowing the actuator to readily tolerate misfires. The present invention is suitable for use with linear and rotary operation combustion chambers, and is suitable for use in a wide variety of applications.

  14. Dielectric Actuation of Polymers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niu, Xiaofan

    Dielectric polymers are widely used in a plurality of applications, such as electrical insulation, dielectric capacitors, and electromechanical actuators. Dielectric polymers with large strain deformations under an electric field are named dielectric elastomers (DE), because of their relative low modulus, high elongation at break, and outstanding resilience. Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) are superior to traditional transducers as a muscle-like technology: large strains, high energy densities, high coupling efficiency, quiet operation, and light weight. One focus of this dissertation is on the design of DE materials with high performance and easy processing. UV radiation curing of reactive species is studied as a generic synthesis methodology to provide a platform for material scientists to customize their own DE materials. Oligomers/monomers, crosslinkers, and other additives are mixed and cured at appropriate ratios to control the stress-strain response, suppress electromechanical instability of the resulting polymers, and provide stable actuation strains larger than 100% and energy densities higher than 1 J/g. The processing is largely simplified in the new material system by removal of the prestretching step. Multilayer stack actuators with 11% linear strain are demonstrated in a procedure fully compatible with industrial production. A multifunctional DE derivative material, bistable electroactive polymer (BSEP), is invented enabling repeatable rigid-to-rigid deformation without bulky external structures. Bistable actuation allows the polymer actuator to have two distinct states that can support external load without device failure. Plasticizers are used to lower the glass transition temperature to 45 °C. Interpenetrating polymer network structure is established inside the BSEP to suppress electromechanical instability, providing a breakdown field of 194 MV/m and a stable bistable strain as large as 228% with a 97% strain fixity. The application of BSEP

  15. A fully wafer-level packaged RF MEMS switch with low actuation voltage using a piezoelectric actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Jae-Hyoung; Lee, Hee-Chul; Park, Yong-Hee; Kim, Yong-Dae; Ji, Chang-Hyeon; Bu, Jonguk; Nam, Hyo-Jin

    2006-11-01

    In this paper, a fully wafer-level packaged RF MEMS switch has been demonstrated, which has low operation voltage, using a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator was designed to operate at low actuation voltage for application to advanced mobile handsets. The dc contact type RF switch was packaged using the wafer-level bonding process. The CPW transmission lines and piezoelectric actuators have been fabricated on separate wafers and assembled together by the wafer-level eutectic bonding process. A gold and tin composite was used for eutectic bonding at a low temperature of 300 °C. Via holes interconnecting the electrical contact pads through the wafer were filled completely with electroplated copper. The fully wafer-level packaged RF MEMS switch showed an insertion loss of 0.63 dB and an isolation of 26.4 dB at 5 GHz. The actuation voltage of the switch was 5 V. The resonant frequency of the piezoelectric actuator was 38.4 kHz and the spring constant of the actuator was calculated to be 9.6 N m-1. The size of the packaged SPST (single-pole single-through) switch was 1.2 mm × 1.2 mm including the packaging sealing rim. The effect of the proposed package structure on the RF performance was characterized with a device having CPW through lines and vertical feed lines excluding the RF switches. The measured packaging loss was 0.2 dB and the return loss was 33.6 dB at 5 GHz.

  16. A reactionless precision pointing actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiktor, Peter

    1987-01-01

    The applications, design, control and testing of an actuator that provides the precise motion control of a gimbal platform without torquing against the basebody to which it is attached are described. The reactionless actuator described was given the name reactuator.

  17. Memory-Metal Electromechanical Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ruoff, C. F.

    1984-01-01

    Electrically controlled actuator produces predetermined force, torque, or displacement without motors, solenoids, or gears. Using memory-metal elements, actuator responds to digital input without electronic digitalto-analog conversion. To prevent overheating and consequent loss of hotformed shape, each element protected by thermostat turns off current when predetermined temperature is exceeded. Memory metals used to generate fast mechanical response to electric signals.

  18. Low-Stroke Actuation for a Serial Robot

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Gao, Dalong (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    A serial robot includes a base, first and second segments, a proximal joint joining the base to the first segment, and a distal joint. The distal joint that joins the segments is serially arranged and distal with respect to the proximal joint. The robot includes first and second actuators. A first tendon extends from the first actuator to the proximal joint and is selectively moveable via the first actuator. A second tendon extends from the second actuator to the distal joint and is selectively moveable via the second actuator. The robot includes a transmission having at least one gear element which assists rotation of the distal joint when an input force is applied to the proximal and/or distal joints by the first and/or second actuators. A robotic hand having the above robot is also disclosed, as is a robotic system having a torso, arm, and the above-described hand.

  19. Modeling and control of a dielectric elastomer actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Ujjaval; Gu, Guo-Ying; Zhu, Jian

    2016-04-01

    The emerging field of soft robotics offers the prospect of applying soft actuators as artificial muscles in the robots, replacing traditional actuators based on hard materials, such as electric motors, piezoceramic actuators, etc. Dielectric elastomers are one class of soft actuators, which can deform in response to voltage and can resemble biological muscles in the aspects of large deformation, high energy density and fast response. Recent research into dielectric elastomers has mainly focused on issues regarding mechanics, physics, material designs and mechanical designs, whereas less importance is given to the control of these soft actuators. Strong nonlinearities due to large deformation and electromechanical coupling make control of the dielectric elastomer actuators challenging. This paper investigates feed-forward control of a dielectric elastomer actuator by using a nonlinear dynamic model. The material and physical parameters in the model are identified by quasi-static and dynamic experiments. A feed-forward controller is developed based on this nonlinear dynamic model. Experimental evidence shows that this controller can control the soft actuator to track the desired trajectories effectively. The present study confirms that dielectric elastomer actuators are capable of being precisely controlled with the nonlinear dynamic model despite the presence of material nonlinearity and electromechanical coupling. It is expected that the reported results can promote the applications of dielectric elastomer actuators to soft robots or biomimetic robots.

  20. Bucky gel actuators optimization towards haptic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bubak, Grzegorz; Ansaldo, Alberto; Ceseracciu, Luca; Hata, Kenji; Ricci, Davide

    2014-03-01

    An ideal plastic actuator for haptic applications should generate a relatively large displacement (minimum 0.2-0.6 mm, force (~50 mN/cm2) and a fast actuation response to the applied voltage. Although many different types of flexible, plastic actuators based on electroactive polymers (EAP) are currently under investigation, the ionic EAPs are the only ones that can be operated at low voltage. This property makes them suitable for applications that require inherently safe actuators. Among the ionic EAPs, bucky gel based actuators are very promising. Bucky gel is a physical gel made by grounding imidazolium ionic liquids with carbon nanotubes, which can then be incorporated in a polymeric composite matrix to prepare the active electrode layers of linear and bending actuators. Anyhow, many conflicting factors have to be balanced to obtain required performance. In order to produce high force a large stiffness is preferable but this limits the displacement. Moreover, the bigger the active electrode the larger the force. However the thicker an actuator is, the slower the charging process becomes (it is diffusion limited). In order to increase the charging speed a thin electrolyte would be desirable, but this increases the probability of pinholes and device failure. In this paper we will present how different approaches in electrolyte and electrode preparation influence actuator performance and properties taking particularly into account the device ionic conductivity (which influences the charging speed) and the electrode surface resistance (which influences both the recruitment of the whole actuator length and its speed).

  1. Active Damping Using Distributed Anisotropic Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schiller, Noah H.; Cabell, Randolph H.; Quinones, Juan D.; Wier, Nathan C.

    2010-01-01

    A helicopter structure experiences substantial high-frequency mechanical excitation from powertrain components such as gearboxes and drive shafts. The resulting structure-borne vibration excites the windows which then radiate sound into the passenger cabin. In many cases the radiated sound power can be reduced by adding damping. This can be accomplished using passive or active approaches. Passive treatments such as constrained layer damping tend to reduce window transparency. Therefore this paper focuses on an active approach utilizing compact decentralized control units distributed around the perimeter of the window. Each control unit consists of a triangularly shaped piezoelectric actuator, a miniature accelerometer, and analog electronics. Earlier work has shown that this type of system can increase damping up to approximately 1 kHz. However at higher frequencies the mismatch between the distributed actuator and the point sensor caused control spillover. This paper describes new anisotropic actuators that can be used to improve the bandwidth of the control system. The anisotropic actuators are composed of piezoelectric material sandwiched between interdigitated electrodes, which enables the application of the electric field in a preferred in-plane direction. When shaped correctly the anisotropic actuators outperform traditional isotropic actuators by reducing the mismatch between the distributed actuator and point sensor at high frequencies. Testing performed on a Plexiglas panel, representative of a helicopter window, shows that the control units can increase damping at low frequencies. However high frequency performance was still limited due to the flexible boundary conditions present on the test structure.

  2. Deflection of jets induced by jet-cloud and jet-galaxy interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mendoza, S.; Longair, M. S.

    2001-06-01

    The model first introduced by Raga & Cantó in which astrophysical jets are deflected on passing through an isothermal high-density region is generalized by taking into account gravitational effects on the motion of the jet as it crosses the high-density cloud. The problem is also generalized for relativistic jets in which gravitational effects induced by the cloud are neglected. Two further cases, classical and relativistic, are discussed for the cases in which the jet is deflected on passing through the interstellar gas of a galaxy in which a dark matter halo dominates the gravitational potential. The criteria for the stability of jets due to the formation of internal shocks are also discussed.

  3. Electrostatic micromembrane actuator arrays as motion generator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, X. T.; Hui, J.; Young, M.; Kayatta, P.; Wong, J.; Kennith, D.; Zhe, J.; Warde, C.

    2004-05-01

    A rigid-body motion generator based on an array of micromembrane actuators is described. Unlike previous microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques, the architecture employs a large number (typically greater than 1000) of micron-sized (10-200 μm) membrane actuators to simultaneously generate the displacement of a large rigid body, such as a conventional optical mirror. For optical applications, the approach provides optical design freedom of MEMS mirrors by enabling large-aperture mirrors to be driven electrostatically by MEMS actuators. The micromembrane actuator arrays have been built using a stacked architecture similar to that employed in the Multiuser MEMS Process (MUMPS), and the motion transfer from the arrayed micron-sized actuators to macro-sized components was demonstrated.

  4. Motion control in free-standing shape-memory actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belmonte, Alberto; Lama, Giuseppe C.; Cerruti, Pierfrancesco; Ambrogi, Veronica; Fernández-Francos, Xavier; De la Flor, Silvia

    2018-07-01

    In this work, free-standing shape-memory thermally triggered actuators are developed by laminating ‘thiol-epoxy’-based glassy thermoset (GT) and stretched liquid-crystalline network (LCN) films. A sequential curing process was used to obtain GTs with tailored thermomechanical properties and network relaxation dynamics, and also to assemble the final actuator. The actuation extent, rate and time were studied by varying the GT and the heating rate in thermo-actuation with an experimental approach. The results demonstrate that it is possible to tailor the actuation rate and time by designing GT materials with a glass transition temperature close to that of the liquid-crystalline-to-isotropic phase transition of the LCN, thus making it possible to couple the two processes. Such coupling is also possible in rapid heating processes even when the glass transition temperature of the GT is clearly lower than the isotropization temperature of the LCN, depending on the network relaxation dynamics of the GT and the presence of thermal gradients within the actuators. Interestingly, varying the GT network relaxation dynamics does not affect the actuation extent. As predicted by the analytical model developed in our previous work, the modulus of the GT layer is mainly responsible for the actuation extent. Finally, to demonstrate the enhanced control of the actuation, specifically designed actuators were assembled in a three-dimensional actuating device able to make complex motions (including ‘S-type’ bending). This approach makes it possible to engineer advanced functional materials for application in self-adaptable structures and soft robotics.

  5. Rotary actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brudnicki, Myron (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    Rotary actuators and other mechanical devices incorporating shape memory alloys are provided herein. Shape memory alloys are a group of metals which when deformed at temperatures below their martensite temperatures, resume the shapes which they had prior to the deformation if they are heated to temperatures above their austensite temperatures. Actuators in which shape memory alloys are employed include bias spring types, in which springs deform the shape memory alloy (SMA), and differential actuators, which use two SMA members mechanically connected in series. Another type uses concentric cylindrical members. One member is in the form of a sleeve surrounding a cylinder, both being constructed of shape memory alloys. Herein two capstans are mounted on a shaft which is supported in a framework. Each capstan is capable of rotating the shaft. Shape memory wire, as two separate lengths of wire, is wrapped around each capstan to form a winding around that capstan. The winding on one capstan is so wrapped that the wire is in a prestretched state. The winding on the other capstan is so wrapped that the wire is in a taut, but not a prestretched, state. Heating one performs work in one direction, thus deforming the other one. When the other SMA is heated the action is reversed.

  6. Elastomeric actuator devices for magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lichter, Matthew (Inventor); Wingert, Andreas (Inventor); Hafez, Moustapha (Inventor); Dubowsky, Steven (Inventor); Jolesz, Ferenc A. (Inventor); Kacher, Daniel F. (Inventor); Weiss, Peter (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    The present invention is directed to devices and systems used in magnetic imaging environments that include an actuator device having an elastomeric dielectric film with at least two electrodes, and a frame attached to the actuator device. The frame can have a plurality of configurations including, such as, for example, at least two members that can be, but not limited to, curved beams, rods, plates, or parallel beams. These rigid members can be coupled to flexible members such as, for example, links wherein the frame provides an elastic restoring force. The frame preferably provides a linear actuation force characteristic over a displacement range. The linear actuation force characteristic is defined as .+-.20% and preferably 10% over a displacement range. The actuator further includes a passive element disposed between the flexible members to tune a stiffness characteristic of the actuator. The passive element can be a bi-stable element. The preferred embodiment actuator includes one or more layers of the elastomeric film integrated into the frame. The elastomeric film can be made of many elastomeric materials such as, for example, but not limited to, acrylic, silicone and latex.

  7. Reliability Testing of NASA Piezocomposite Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkie, W.; High, J.; Bockman, J.

    2002-01-01

    NASA Langley Research Center has developed a low-cost piezocomposite actuator which has application for controlling vibrations in large inflatable smart space structures, space telescopes, and high performance aircraft. Tests show the NASA piezocomposite device is capable of producing large, directional, in-plane strains on the order of 2000 parts-per-million peak-to-peak, with no reduction in free-strain performance to 100 million electrical cycles. This paper describes methods, measurements, and preliminary results from our reliability evaluation of the device under externally applied mechanical loads and at various operational temperatures. Tests performed to date show no net reductions in actuation amplitude while the device was moderately loaded through 10 million electrical cycles. Tests were performed at both room temperature and at the maximum operational temperature of the epoxy resin system used in manufacture of the device. Initial indications are that actuator reliability is excellent, with no actuator failures or large net reduction in actuator performance.

  8. Electromechanical Actuator Performance of Carbon Nanotube Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Munoz, Edgar; Kozlov, Mikhail; Collins, Steve; Dalton, Alan B.; Razal, Joselito; Zakhidov, Anvar A.; Baughman, Ray H.

    2003-03-01

    Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) assemblies (sheets and fibers) have been investigated as electromechanical actuators. SWNT fibers provide maximum isometric actuator stress values of 20-26 MPa, which is about 5-10 times larger that those corresponding to SWNT sheets. This actuation performance is about 100 timer larger than the stress generation capability of natural muscle. The effect of employing different electrolytes as well as SWNTs produced by different routes, and the potential applications of these actuators will be also discussed.

  9. Distributed structural control using multilayered piezoelectric actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cudney, Harley H.; Inman, Daniel J.; Oshman, Yaakov

    1990-01-01

    A method of segmenting piezoelectric sensors and actuators is proposed which can preclude the currently experienced cancelation of sensor signals, or the reduction of actuator effectiveness, due to the integration of the property undergoing measurement or control. The segmentation method is demonstrated by a model developed for beam structures, to which multiple layers of piezoelectric materials are attached. A numerical study is undertaken of increasing active and passive damping of a beam using the segmented sensors and actuators over unsegmented sensors and actuators.

  10. Electrostatic repulsive out-of-plane actuator using conductive substrate.

    PubMed

    Wang, Weimin; Wang, Qiang; Ren, Hao; Ma, Wenying; Qiu, Chuankai; Chen, Zexiang; Fan, Bin

    2016-10-07

    A pseudo-three-layer electrostatic repulsive out-of-plane actuator is proposed. It combines the advantages of two-layer and three-layer repulsive actuators, i.e., fabrication requirements and fill factor. A theoretical model for the proposed actuator is developed and solved through the numerical calculation of Schwarz-Christoffel mapping. Theoretical and simulated results show that the pseudo-three-layer actuator offers higher performance than the two-layer and three-layer actuators with regard to the two most important characteristics of actuators, namely, driving force and theoretical stroke. Given that the pseudo-three-layer actuator structure is compatible with both the parallel-plate actuators and these two types of repulsive actuators, a 19-element two-layer repulsive actuated deformable mirror is operated in pseudo-three-layer electrical connection mode. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the pseudo-three-layer mode produces a larger displacement of 0-4.5 μm for a dc driving voltage of 0-100 V, when compared with that in two-layer mode.

  11. Electrostatic repulsive out-of-plane actuator using conductive substrate

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Weimin; Wang, Qiang; Ren, Hao; Ma, Wenying; Qiu, Chuankai; Chen, Zexiang; Fan, Bin

    2016-01-01

    A pseudo-three-layer electrostatic repulsive out-of-plane actuator is proposed. It combines the advantages of two-layer and three-layer repulsive actuators, i.e., fabrication requirements and fill factor. A theoretical model for the proposed actuator is developed and solved through the numerical calculation of Schwarz-Christoffel mapping. Theoretical and simulated results show that the pseudo-three-layer actuator offers higher performance than the two-layer and three-layer actuators with regard to the two most important characteristics of actuators, namely, driving force and theoretical stroke. Given that the pseudo-three-layer actuator structure is compatible with both the parallel-plate actuators and these two types of repulsive actuators, a 19-element two-layer repulsive actuated deformable mirror is operated in pseudo-three-layer electrical connection mode. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the pseudo-three-layer mode produces a larger displacement of 0–4.5 μm for a dc driving voltage of 0–100 V, when compared with that in two-layer mode. PMID:27713542

  12. Double-Acting Sleeve Muscle Actuator for Bio-Robotic Systems.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Hao; Shen, Xiangrong

    2013-11-25

    This paper presents a new type of muscle-like actuator, namely double-acting (DA) sleeve muscle actuator, which is suitable for the actuation of biologically-inspired and biomedical robotic systems, especially those serving human-assistance purposes (prostheses, orthoses, etc .). Developed based on the traditional pneumatic muscle actuator, the new DA sleeve muscle incorporates a unique insert at the center. With the insert occupying the central portion of the internal volume, this new actuator enjoys multiple advantages relative to the traditional pneumatic muscle, including a consistent increase of force capacity over the entire range of motion, and a significant decrease of energy consumption in operation. Furthermore, the insert encompasses an additional chamber, which generates an extension force when pressurized. As such, this new actuator provides a unique bi-directional actuation capability, and, thus, has a potential to significantly simplify the design of a muscle actuator-powered robotic system. To demonstrate this new actuator concept, a prototype has been designed and fabricated, and experiments conducted on this prototype demonstrated the enhanced force capacity and the unique bi-directional actuation capability.

  13. Dielectric elastomer actuators used for pneumatic valve technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giousouf, Metin; Kovacs, Gabor

    2013-10-01

    Dielectric elastomer actuators have been investigated for applications in the field of pneumatic automation technology. We have developed different valve designs with stacked dielectric elastomer actuators and with integrated high voltage converters. The actuators were made using VHB-4910 material and a stacker machine for automated fabrication of the cylindrical actuators. Typical characteristics of pneumatic valves such as flow rate, power consumption and dynamic behaviour are presented. For valve construction the force and stroke parameters of the dielectric elastomer actuator have been measured. Further, benefits for valve applications using dielectric elastomers are shown as well as their potential operational area. Finally, challenges are discussed that are relevant for the use of elastomer actuators in valves for industrial applications.

  14. Exact analysis of two kinds of piezoelectric actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rong, Han; Zhifei, Shi

    2008-02-01

    Two kinds of piezoelectric hollow cylinder actuator are studied in this paper. One is the expansion actuator and the other is the contraction actuator. Using the Airy stress function method, the analytical solutions of these two kinds of actuators are obtained based on the theory of piezo-elasticity. The solutions are compared with numerical results and good agreement is found. Inherent properties of these two kinds of piezoelectric cylinder actuator are presented and discussed. Findings have applications in the field of micromechanics and microengineering.

  15. Networked Rectenna Array for Smart Material Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Choi, Sang H.; Golembiewski, Walter T.; Song, Kyo D.

    2000-01-01

    The concept of microwave-driven smart material actuators is envisioned as the best option to alleviate the complexity associated with hard-wired control circuitry. Networked rectenna patch array receives and converts microwave power into a DC power for an array of smart actuators. To use microwave power effectively, the concept of a power allocation and distribution (PAD) circuit is adopted for networking a rectenna/actuator patch array. The PAD circuit is imbedded into a single embodiment of rectenna and actuator array. The thin-film microcircuit embodiment of PAD circuit adds insignificant amount of rigidity to membrane flexibility. Preliminary design and fabrication of PAD circuitry that consists of a few nodal elements were made for laboratory testing. The networked actuators were tested to correlate the network coupling effect, power allocation and distribution, and response time. The features of preliminary design are 16-channel computer control of actuators by a PCI board and the compensator for a power failure or leakage of one or more rectennas.

  16. Screening actuator locations for static shape control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haftka, Raphael T.

    1990-01-01

    Correction of shape distortion due to zero-mean normally distributed errors in structural sizes which are random variables is examined. A bound on the maximum improvement in the expected value of the root-mean-square shape error is obtained. The shape correction associated with the optimal actuators is also characterized. An actuator effectiveness index is developed and shown to be helpful in screening actuator locations in the structure. The results are specialized to a simple form for truss structures composed of nominally identical members. The bound and effectiveness index are tested on a 55-m radiometer antenna truss structure. It is found that previously obtained results for optimum actuators had a performance close to the bound obtained here. Furthermore, the actuators associated with the optimum design are shown to have high effectiveness indices. Since only a small fraction of truss elements tend to have high effectiveness indices, the proposed screening procedure can greatly reduce the number of truss members that need to be considered as actuator sites.

  17. Measurement of seismometer orientation using the tangential P-wave receiver function based on harmonic decomposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Hobin; Kim, YoungHee; Song, Teh-Ru Alex; Shen, Xuzhang

    2018-03-01

    Accurate determination of the seismometer orientation is a prerequisite for seismic studies including, but not limited to seismic anisotropy. While borehole seismometers on land produce seismic waveform data somewhat free of human-induced noise, they might have a drawback of an uncertain orientation. This study calculates a harmonic decomposition of teleseismic receiver functions from the P and PP phases and determines the orientation of a seismometer by minimizing a constant term in a harmonic expansion of tangential receiver functions in backazimuth near and at 0 s. This method normalizes the effect of seismic sources and determines the orientation of a seismometer without having to assume for an isotropic medium. Compared to the method of minimizing the amplitudes of a mean of the tangential receiver functions near and at 0 s, the method yields more accurate orientations in cases where the backazimuthal coverage of earthquake sources (even in the case of ocean bottom seismometers) is uneven and incomplete. We apply this method to data from the Korean seismic network (52 broad-band velocity seismometers, 30 of which are borehole sensors) to estimate the sensor orientation in the period of 2005-2016. We also track temporal changes in the sensor orientation through the change in the polarity and the amplitude of the tangential receiver function. Six borehole stations are confirmed to experience a significant orientation change (10°-180°) over the period of 10 yr. We demonstrate the usefulness of our method by estimating the orientation of ocean bottom sensors, which are known to have high noise level during the relatively short deployment period.

  18. An alternative to FASTSIM for tangential solution of the wheel-rail contact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sichani, Matin Sh.; Enblom, Roger; Berg, Mats

    2016-06-01

    In most rail vehicle dynamics simulation packages, tangential solution of the wheel-rail contact is gained by means of Kalker's FASTSIM algorithm. While 5-25% error is expected for creep force estimation, the errors of shear stress distribution, needed for wheel-rail damage analysis, may rise above 30% due to the parabolic traction bound. Therefore, a novel algorithm named FaStrip is proposed as an alternative to FASTSIM. It is based on the strip theory which extends the two-dimensional rolling contact solution to three-dimensional contacts. To form FaStrip, the original strip theory is amended to obtain accurate estimations for any contact ellipse size and it is combined by a numerical algorithm to handle spin. The comparison between the two algorithms shows that using FaStrip improves the accuracy of the estimated shear stress distribution and the creep force estimation in all studied cases. In combined lateral creepage and spin cases, for instance, the error in force estimation reduces from 18% to less than 2%. The estimation of the slip velocities in the slip zone, needed for wear analysis, is also studied. Since FaStrip is as fast as FASTSIM, it can be an alternative for tangential solution of the wheel-rail contact in simulation packages.

  19. Application of actuator-driven pulsed water jet in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage surgery: its effectiveness for dissection around ruptured aneurysmal walls and subarachnoid clot removal.

    PubMed

    Endo, Hidenori; Endo, Toshiki; Nakagawa, Atsuhiro; Fujimura, Miki; Tominaga, Teiji

    2017-07-01

    In clipping surgery for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), critical steps include clot removal and dissection of aneurysms without premature rupture or brain injuries. To pursue this goal, a piezo actuator-driven pulsed water jet (ADPJ) system was introduced in this study. This study included 42 patients, who suffered aSAH and underwent clipping surgery. Eleven patients underwent surgery with the assistance of the ADPJ system (ADPJ group). In the other 31 patients, surgery was performed without the ADPJ system (Control group). The ADPJ system was used for clot removal and aneurysmal dissection. The clinical impact of the ADPJ system was judged by comparing the rate of premature rupture, degree of clot removal, and clinical outcomes. Intraoperatively, a premature rupture was encountered in 18.2 and 25.8% of cases in the ADPJ and control groups, respectively. Although the differences were not statistically significant, intraoperative observation suggested that the ADPJ system was effective in clot removal and dissection of aneurysms in a safe manner. Computed tomography scans indicated the achievement of higher degrees of clot removal, especially when the ADPJ system was used for cases with preoperative clot volumes of more than 25 ml (p = 0.047, Mann-Whitney U test). Clinical outcomes, including incidence of postoperative brain injury or symptomatic vasospasm, were similar in both groups. We described our preliminary surgical results using the ADPJ system for aSAH. Although further study is needed, the ADPJ system was considered a safe and effective tool for clot removal and dissection of aneurysms.

  20. Piezoceramic Actuator Placement for Acoustic Control of Panels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bevan, Jeffrey S.; Turner, Travis L. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Optimum placement of multiple traditional piezoceramic actuators is determined for active structural acoustic control of flat panels. The structural acoustic response is determined using acoustic radiation filters and structural surface vibration characteristics. Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control is utilized to determine the optimum state feedback gain for active structural acoustic control. The optimum actuator location is determined by minimizing the structural acoustic radiated noise using a modified genetic algorithm. Experimental tests are conducted and compared to analytical results. Anisotropic piezoceramic actuators exhibits enhanced performance when compared to traditional isotropic piezoceramic actuators. As a result of the inherent isotropy, these advanced actuators develop strain along the principal material axis. The orientation of anisotropic actuators is investigated on the effect of structural vibration and acoustic control of curved and flat panels. A fully coupled shallow shell finite element formulation is developed to include anisotropic piezoceramic actuators for shell structures.

  1. Piezoceramic Actuator Placement for Acoustic Control of Panels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bevan, Jeffrey S.

    2000-01-01

    Optimum placement of multiple traditional piezoceramic actuators is determined for active structural acoustic control of flat panels. The structural acoustic response is determined using acoustic radiation filters and structural surface vibration characteristics. Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control is utilized to determine the optimum state feedback gain for active structural acoustic control. The optimum actuator location is determined by minimizing the structural acoustic radiated noise using a modified genetic algorithm. Experimental tests are conducted and compared to analytical results. Anisotropic piezoceramic actuators exhibit enhanced performance when compared to traditional isotropic piezoceramic actuators. As a result of the inherent isotropy, these advanced actuators develop strain along the principal material axis. The orientation of anisotropic actuators is investigated on the effect of structural vibration and acoustic control of curved and flat panels. A fully coupled shallow shell finite element formulation is developed to include anisotropic piezoceramic actuators for shell structures.

  2. Theoretical and experimental study on active sound transmission control based on single structural mode actuation using point force actuators.

    PubMed

    Sanada, Akira; Tanaka, Nobuo

    2012-08-01

    This study deals with the feedforward active control of sound transmission through a simply supported rectangular panel using vibration actuators. The control effect largely depends on the excitation method, including the number and locations of actuators. In order to obtain a large control effect at low frequencies over a wide frequency, an active transmission control method based on single structural mode actuation is proposed. Then, with the goal of examining the feasibility of the proposed method, the (1, 3) mode is selected as the target mode and a modal actuation method in combination with six point force actuators is considered. Assuming that a single input single output feedforward control is used, sound transmission in the case minimizing the transmitted sound power is calculated for some actuation methods. Simulation results showed that the (1, 3) modal actuation is globally effective at reducing the sound transmission by more than 10 dB in the low-frequency range for both normal and oblique incidences. Finally, experimental results also showed that a large reduction could be achieved in the low-frequency range, which proves the validity and feasibility of the proposed method.

  3. Thermal actuator improvements: tapering and folding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinclair, Michael J.; Wang, Kerwin

    2003-04-01

    Electrothermal actuation is not a popular technology for today"s MEMS transducers due to its relatively slow response and large appetite for power. The large displacement with high force and low voltage gives reason to try to improve thermal actuator"s operating characteristics. This paper describes some improvements to thermal actuators, mainly in increased output energy per actuator chip area and area utilization. The devices presented here are a variation of the chevron thermal actuator - one with two sets of thermally expanding beams pushing at a slight angle on either side of a suspended shuttle, causing it to be displaced parallel to the substrate. One improvement is to taper the thermal expansion beams so they exhibit a higher strain energy, allowing a larger thermal input power and hence more output mechanical power per beam. Another improvement is to move (fold) both sets of thermal beams to the same side of the shuttle so all are exerting force on the same side. The thermal expansion beams cause compression against the shuttle and work against one or two orthogonal cold beams in tension to produce an output force and displacement. This resembles a pseudo-bimorph array with the exception of having far fewer non-force-producing beams to bend.

  4. 35 Hz shape memory alloy actuator with bending-twisting mode

    PubMed Central

    Song, Sung-Hyuk; Lee, Jang-Yeob; Rodrigue, Hugo; Choi, Ik-Seong; Kang, Yeon June; Ahn, Sung-Hoon

    2016-01-01

    Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) materials are widely used as an actuating source for bending actuators due to their high power density. However, due to the slow actuation speed of SMAs, there are limitations in their range of possible applications. This paper proposes a smart soft composite (SSC) actuator capable of fast bending actuation with large deformations. To increase the actuation speed of SMA actuator, multiple thin SMA wires are used to increase the heat dissipation for faster cooling. The actuation characteristics of the actuator at different frequencies are measured with different actuator lengths and results show that resonance can be used to realize large deformations up to 35 Hz. The actuation characteristics of the actuator can be modified by changing the design of the layered reinforcement structure embedded in the actuator, thus the natural frequency and length of an actuator can be optimized for a specific actuation speed. A model is used to compare with the experimental results of actuators with different layered reinforcement structure designs. Also, a bend-twist coupled motion using an anisotropic layered reinforcement structure at a speed of 10 Hz is also realized. By increasing their range of actuation characteristics, the proposed actuator extends the range of application of SMA bending actuators. PMID:26892438

  5. A finite element model of rigid body structures actuated by dielectric elastomer actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simone, F.; Linnebach, P.; Rizzello, G.; Seelecke, S.

    2018-06-01

    This paper presents on finite element (FE) modeling and simulation of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) coupled with articulated structures. DEAs have proven to represent an effective transduction technology for the realization of large deformation, low-power consuming, and fast mechatronic actuators. However, the complex dynamic behavior of the material, characterized by nonlinearities and rate-dependent phenomena, makes it difficult to accurately model and design DEA systems. The problem is further complicated in case the DEA is used to activate articulated structures, which increase both system complexity and implementation effort of numerical simulation models. In this paper, we present a model based tool which allows to effectively implement and simulate complex articulated systems actuated by DEAs. A first prototype of a compact switch actuated by DEA membranes is chosen as reference study to introduce the methodology. The commercially available FE software COMSOL is used for implementing and coupling a physics-based dynamic model of the DEA with the external structure, i.e., the switch. The model is then experimentally calibrated and validated in both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. Finally, preliminary results on how to use the simulation tool to optimize the design are presented.

  6. A novel multi-actuation CMOS RF MEMS switch

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Chiung-I.; Ko, Chih-Hsiang; Huang, Tsun-Che

    2008-12-01

    This paper demonstrates a capacitive shunt type RF MEMS switch, which is actuated by electro-thermal actuator and electrostatic actuator at the same time, and than latching the switching status by electrostatic force only. Since thermal actuators need relative low voltage compare to electrostatic actuators, and electrostatic force needs almost no power to maintain the switching status, the benefits of the mechanism are very low actuation voltage and low power consumption. Moreover, the RF MEMS switch has considered issues for integrated circuit compatible in design phase. So the switch is fabricated by a standard 0.35um 2P4M CMOS process and uses wet etching and dry etching technologies for postprocess. This compatible ability is important because the RF characteristics are not only related to the device itself. If a packaged RF switch and a packaged IC wired together, the parasitic capacitance will cause the problem for optimization. The structure of the switch consists of a set of CPW transmission lines and a suspended membrane. The CPW lines and the membrane are in metal layers of CMOS process. Besides, the electro-thermal actuators are designed by polysilicon layer of the CMOS process. So the RF switch is only CMOS process layers needed for both electro-thermal and electrostatic actuations in switch. The thermal actuator is composed of a three-dimensional membrane and two heaters. The membrane is a stacked step structure including two metal layers in CMOS process, and heat is generated by poly silicon resistors near the anchors of membrane. Measured results show that the actuation voltage of the switch is under 7V for electro-thermal added electrostatic actuation.

  7. Dynamic actuation of single-crystal diamond nanobeams

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sohn, Young-Ik; Burek, Michael J.; Lončar, Marko, E-mail: loncar@seas.harvard.edu

    2015-12-14

    We show the dielectrophoretic actuation of single-crystal diamond nanomechanical devices. Gradient radio-frequency electromagnetic forces are used to achieve actuation of both cantilever and doubly clamped beam structures, with operation frequencies ranging from a few MHz to ∼50 MHz. Frequency tuning and parametric actuation are also studied.

  8. INTRINSIC CURVATURE: A MARKER OF MILLIMETER-SCALE TANGENTIAL CORTICO-CORTICAL CONNECTIVITY?

    PubMed Central

    RONAN, LISA; PIENAAR, RUDOLPH; WILLIAMS, GUY; BULLMORE, ED; CROW, TIM J.; ROBERTS, NEIL; JONES, PETER B.; SUCKLING, JOHN; FLETCHER, PAUL C.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we draw a link between cortical intrinsic curvature and the distributions of tangential connection lengths. We suggest that differential rates of surface expansion not only lead to intrinsic curvature of the cortical sheet, but also to differential inter-neuronal spacing. We propose that there follows a consequential change in the profile of neuronal connections: specifically an enhancement of the tendency towards proportionately more short connections. Thus, the degree of cortical intrinsic curvature may have implications for short-range connectivity. PMID:21956929

  9. Active Vibration Isolation Devices with Inertial Servo Actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Melik-Shakhnazarov, V. A.; Strelov, V. I.; Sofiyanchuk, D. V.; Tregubenko, A. A.

    2018-03-01

    The use of active vibration isolation devices (AVIDs) in aerospace engineering is subject to the following restrictions. First, the volume for installing additional devices is always limited in instrument racks and compartments. Secondly, in many cases, it is impossible to add supports for servo actuators for fundamental or design considerations. In the paper, it has been shown that this problem can be solved if the inertial servo actuators are used in AVIDs instead of reference actuators. A transfer function has been theoretically calculated for an AVID controlled by inertial actuators. It has been shown that the volume of a six-mode single-housing AVID with inertial actuators can be 2-2.5 times smaller than that of devices with support actuators.

  10. Shape Memory Actuated Normally Open Permanent Isolation Valve

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramspacher, Daniel J. (Inventor); Bacha, Caitlin E. (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    A valve assembly for an in-space propulsion system includes an inlet tube, an outlet tube, a valve body coupling the inlet tube to the outlet tube and defining a propellant flow path, a valve stem assembly disposed within the valve body, an actuator body coupled to the valve body, the valve stem assembly extending from an interior of the valve body to an interior of the actuator body, and an actuator assembly disposed within the actuator body and coupled to the valve stem assembly, the actuator assembly including a shape memory actuator member that when heated to a transition temperature is configured to enable the valve stem assembly to engage the outlet tube and seal the propellant flow path.

  11. Linear fully dry polymer actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Rossi, Danilo; Mazzoldi, Alberto

    1999-05-01

    In the last period, the interest in the development of devices that emulate the properties of the 'par excellence' biological actuator, the human muscle, is considerably grown. The recent advances in the field of conducting polymers open new interesting prospects in this direction: from this point of view polyaniline (PANi), since it is easily produced in fiber form, represents an interesting material. In this conference we report the development of a linear actuator prototype that makes use of PANi fiber. All fabrication steps (fiber extrusion, solid polymer electrolyte preparation, compound realization) and experimental set-up for the electromechanical characterization are described. Quantitative measurements of isotonic length changes and isometric stress generation during electrochemical stimulation are reported. An overall assessment of PANi fibers actuative properties in wet and dry conditions is reported and possible future developments are proposed. Finally, continuum and lumped parameter models formulated to describe passive and active contractile properties of conducting polymer actuators are briefly outlined.

  12. Self-actuating reactor shutdown system

    DOEpatents

    Barrus, Donald M.; Brummond, Willian A; Peterson, Leslie F.

    1988-01-01

    A control system for the automatic or self-actuated shutdown or "scram" of a nuclear reactor. The system is capable of initiating scram insertion by a signal from the plant protection system or by independent action directly sensing reactor conditions of low-flow or over-power. Self-actuation due to a loss of reactor coolant flow results from a decrease of pressure differential between the upper and lower ends of an absorber element. When the force due to this differential falls below the weight of the element, the element will fall by gravitational force to scram the reactor. Self-actuation due to high neutron flux is accomplished via a valve controlled by an electromagnet and a thermionic diode. In a reactor over-power, the diode will be heated to a change of state causing the electromagnet to be shorted thereby actuating the valve which provides the changed flow and pressure conditions required for scramming the absorber element.

  13. RSRM nozzle actuator bracket/lug fracture mechanics qualification test

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelley, Peggy

    1993-01-01

    This is the final report for the actuator bracket/lug fracture mechanics qualification test. The test plan (CTP-0071) outlined a two-phase test program designed to answer questions about the fracture criticality of the redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM) nozzle actuator bracket. An analysis conducted using the NASA/FLAGRO fracture mechanics computer program indicated that the actuator bracket might be a fracture critical component. In the NASA/FLAGRO analysis, a simple lug model was used to represent the actuator bracket. It was calculated that the bracket would fracture if subjected to an actuator stall load in the presence of a 0.10 in. corner crack at the actuator attachment hole. The 0.10 in. crack size corresponds to the nondestructive inspection detectability limit for the actuator bracket. The inspection method used is the dye penetrant method. The actuator stall load (103,424 lb) is the maximum load which the actuator bracket is required to withstand during motor operation. This testing was designed to establish the accuracy of the analytical model and to directly determine whether the actuator bracket is capable of meeting fracture mechanics safe-life requirements.

  14. Wind turbine rotor simulation using the actuator disk and actuator line methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tzimas, M.; Prospathopoulos, J.

    2016-09-01

    The present paper focuses on wind turbine rotor modeling for loads and wake flow prediction. Two steady-state models based on the actuator disk approach are considered, using either a uniform thrust or a blade element momentum calculation of the wind turbine loads. A third model is based on the unsteady-state actuator line approach. Predictions are compared with measurements in wind tunnel experiments and in atmospheric environment and the capabilities and weaknesses of the different models are addressed.

  15. Actuator placement in prestressed adaptive trusses for vibration control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jalihal, P.; Utku, Senol; Wada, Ben K.

    1993-01-01

    This paper describes the optimal location selection of actuators for vibration control in prestressed adaptive trusses. Since prestressed adaptive trusses are statically indeterminate, the actuators to be used for vibration control purposes must work against (1) existing static axial prestressing forces, (2) static axial forces caused by the actuation, and (3) dynamic axial forces caused by the motion of the mass. In statically determinate adaptive trusses (1) and (2) are non - existing. The actuator placement problem in statically indeterminate trusses is therefore governed by the actuation energy and the actuator strength requirements. Assuming output feedback type control of selected vibration modes in autonomous systems, a procedure is given for the placement of vibration controlling actuators in prestressed adaptive trusses.

  16. Performance Enhancement of a Vertical Tail Model with Sweeping Jet Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seele, Roman; Graff, Emilio; Lin, John; Wygnanski, Israel

    2013-01-01

    Active Flow Control (AFC) experiments performed at the Caltech Lucas Adaptive Wall Wind Tunnel on a 12%-thick, generic vertical tail model indicated that sweeping jets emanating from the trailing edge (TE) of the vertical stabilizer significantly increased the side force coefficient for a wide range of rudder deflection angles and yaw angles at free-stream velocities approaching takeoff rotation speed. The results indicated that 2% blowing momentum coefficient (C(sub mu) increased the side force in excess of 50% at the maximum conventional rudder deflection angle in the absence of yaw. Even C(sub mu) = 0.5% increased the side force in excess of 20% under these conditions. This effort was sponsored by the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project and the successful demonstration of this flow-control application could have far reaching implications. It could lead to effective applications of AFC technologies on key aircraft control surfaces and lift enhancing devices (flaps) that would aid in reduction of fuel consumption through a decrease in size and weight of wings and control surfaces or a reduction of the noise footprint due to steeper climb and descent.

  17. An artificial muscle actuator for biomimetic underwater propulsors.

    PubMed

    Yim, Woosoon; Lee, Joonsoo; Kim, Kwang J

    2007-06-01

    In this paper, we introduce the analytical framework of the modeling dynamic characteristics of a soft artificial muscle actuator for aquatic propulsor applications. The artificial muscle used for this underwater application is an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) which can generate bending motion in aquatic environments. The inputs of the model are the voltages applied to multiple IPMCs, and the output can be either the shape of the actuators or the thrust force generated from the interaction between dynamic actuator motions and surrounding water. In order to determine the relationship between the input voltages and the bending moments, the simplified RC model is used, and the mechanical beam theory is used for the bending motion of IPMC actuators. Also, the hydrodynamic forces exerted on an actuator as it moves relative to the surrounding medium or water are added to the equations of motion to study the effect of actuator bending on the thrust force generation. The proposed method can be used for modeling the general bending type artificial muscle actuator in a single or segmented form operating in the water. The segmented design has more flexibility in controlling the shape of the actuator when compared with the single form, especially in generating undulatory waves. Considering an inherent nature of large deformations in the IPMC actuator, a large deflection beam model has been developed and integrated with the electrical RC model and hydrodynamic forces to develop the state space model of the actuator system. The model was validated against existing experimental data.

  18. Hydrodynamic Stability Analysis of Multi-jet Effects in Swirling Jet Combustors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emerson, Benjamin; Lieuwen, Tim

    2016-11-01

    Many practical combustion devices use multiple swirling jets to stabilize flames. However, much of the understanding of swirling jet dynamics has been generated from experimental and computational studies of single reacting, swirling jets. A smaller body of literature has begun to explore the effects of multi-jet systems and the role of jet-jet interactions on the macro-system dynamics. This work uses local temporal and spatio-temporal stability analyses to isolate the hydrodynamic interactions of multiple reacting, swirling jets, characterized by jet diameter, D, and spacing, L. The results first identify the familiar helical modes in the single jet. Comparison to the multi-jet configuration reveals these same familiar modes simultaneously oscillating in each of the jets. Jet-jet interaction is mostly limited to a spatial synchronization of each jet's oscillations at the jet spacing values analyzed here (L/D =3.5). The presence of multiple jets vs a single jet has little influence on the temporal and absolute growth rates. The biggest difference between the single and multi-jet configurations is the presence of nearly degenerate pairs of hydrodynamic modes in the multi-jet case, with one mode dominated by oscillations in the inner jet, and the other in the outer jets. The close similarity between the single and multi-jet hydrodynamics lends insight into experiments from our group.

  19. Another lesson from plants: the forward osmosis-based actuator.

    PubMed

    Sinibaldi, Edoardo; Argiolas, Alfredo; Puleo, Gian Luigi; Mazzolai, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    Osmotic actuation is a ubiquitous plant-inspired actuation strategy that has a very low power consumption but is capable of generating effective movements in a wide variety of environmental conditions. In light of these features, we aimed to develop a novel, low-power-consumption actuator that is capable of generating suitable forces during a characteristic actuation time on the order of a few minutes. Based on the analysis of plant movements and on osmotic actuation modeling, we designed and fabricated a forward osmosis-based actuator with a typical size of 10 mm and a characteristic time of 2-5 minutes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fastest osmotic actuator developed so far. Moreover, the achieved timescale can be compared to that of a typical plant cell, thanks to the integrated strategy that we pursued by concurrently addressing and solving design and material issues, as paradigmatically explained by the bioinspired approach. Our osmotic actuator produces forces above 20 N, while containing the power consumption (on the order of 1 mW). Furthermore, based on the agreement between model predictions and experimental observations, we also discuss the actuator performance (including power consumption, maximum force, energy density and thermodynamic efficiency) in relation to existing actuation technologies. In light of the achievements of the present study, the proposed osmotic actuator holds potential for effective exploitation in bioinspired robotics systems.

  20. Another Lesson from Plants: The Forward Osmosis-Based Actuator

    PubMed Central

    Sinibaldi, Edoardo; Argiolas, Alfredo; Puleo, Gian Luigi; Mazzolai, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    Osmotic actuation is a ubiquitous plant-inspired actuation strategy that has a very low power consumption but is capable of generating effective movements in a wide variety of environmental conditions. In light of these features, we aimed to develop a novel, low-power-consumption actuator that is capable of generating suitable forces during a characteristic actuation time on the order of a few minutes. Based on the analysis of plant movements and on osmotic actuation modeling, we designed and fabricated a forward osmosis-based actuator with a typical size of 10 mm and a characteristic time of 2–5 minutes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fastest osmotic actuator developed so far. Moreover, the achieved timescale can be compared to that of a typical plant cell, thanks to the integrated strategy that we pursued by concurrently addressing and solving design and material issues, as paradigmatically explained by the bioinspired approach. Our osmotic actuator produces forces above 20 N, while containing the power consumption (on the order of 1 mW). Furthermore, based on the agreement between model predictions and experimental observations, we also discuss the actuator performance (including power consumption, maximum force, energy density and thermodynamic efficiency) in relation to existing actuation technologies. In light of the achievements of the present study, the proposed osmotic actuator holds potential for effective exploitation in bioinspired robotics systems. PMID:25020043

  1. Effect of pressure on tangential-injection film cooling in a combustor exhaust stream

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marek, C. J.

    1973-01-01

    A tangential-injection film cooled test section was placed in the exhaust stream of a high pressure combustor. Film cooling data were taken at pressure of 1, 10, and 20 atmospheres. The film cooling effectiveness was found to be independent of pressure. The data were correlated adequately by a turbulent-mixing film cooling correlation with a turbulent-mixing coefficient of 0.05 + or - 0.02.

  2. High-performance graphdiyne-based electrochemical actuators.

    PubMed

    Lu, Chao; Yang, Ying; Wang, Jian; Fu, Ruoping; Zhao, Xinxin; Zhao, Lei; Ming, Yue; Hu, Ying; Lin, Hongzhen; Tao, Xiaoming; Li, Yuliang; Chen, Wei

    2018-02-21

    Electrochemical actuators directly converting electrical energy to mechanical energy are critically important for artificial intelligence. However, their energy transduction efficiency is always lower than 1.0% because electrode materials lack active units in microstructure, and their assembly systems can hardly express the intrinsic properties. Here, we report a molecular-scale active graphdiyne-based electrochemical actuator with a high electro-mechanical transduction efficiency of up to 6.03%, exceeding that of the best-known piezoelectric ceramic, shape memory alloy and electroactive polymer reported before, and its energy density (11.5 kJ m -3 ) is comparable to that of mammalian skeletal muscle (~8 kJ m -3 ). Meanwhile, the actuator remains responsive at frequencies from 0.1 to 30 Hz with excellent cycling stability over 100,000 cycles. Furthermore, we verify the alkene-alkyne complex transition effect responsible for the high performance through in situ sum frequency generation spectroscopy. This discovery sheds light on our understanding of actuation mechanisms and will accelerate development of smart actuators.

  3. The Load Capability of Piezoelectric Single Crystal Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Tian-Bing; Su, Ji; Jiang, Xiaoning; Rehrig, Paul W.; Hackenberger, Wesley S.

    2006-01-01

    Piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) single crystal is one of the most promising materials for electromechanical device applications due to its high electrical field induced strain and high electromechanical coupling factor. PMN-PT single crystal-based multilayer stack actuators and multilayer stack-based flextensional actuators have exhibited high stroke and high displacement-voltage ratios. The actuation capabilities of these two actuators were evaluated using a newly developed method based upon a laser vibrometer system under various loading conditions. The measured displacements as a function of mechanical loads at different driving voltages indicate that the displacement response of the actuators is approximately constant under broad ranges of mechanical load. The load capabilities of these PMN-PT single crystal-based actuators and the advantages of the capability for applications will be discussed.

  4. The Load Capability of Piezoelectric Single Crystal Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Tian-Bing; Su, Ji; Jiang, Xiaoning; Rehrig, Paul W.; Hackenberger, Wesley S.

    2007-01-01

    Piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) single crystal is one of the most promising materials for electromechanical device applications due to its high electrical field induced strain and high electromechanical coupling factor. PMN-PT single crystal-based multilayer stack actuators and multilayer stack-based flextensional actuators have exhibited high stroke and high displacement-voltage ratios. The actuation capabilities of these two actuators were evaluated using a newly developed method based upon a laser vibrometer system under various loading conditions. The measured displacements as a function of mechanical loads at different driving voltages indicate that the displacement response of the actuators is approximately constant under broad ranges of mechanical load. The load capabilities of these PMN-PT single crystal-based actuators and the advantages of the capability for applications will be discussed.

  5. Electrically controlled polymeric gel actuators

    DOEpatents

    Adolf, Douglas B.; Shahinpoor, Mohsen; Segalman, Daniel J.; Witkowski, Walter R.

    1993-01-01

    Electrically controlled polymeric gel actuators or synthetic muscles capable of undergoing substantial expansion and contraction when subjected to changing pH environments, temperature, or solvent. The actuators employ compliant containers for the gels and their solvents. The gels employed may be cylindrical electromechanical gel fibers such as polyacrylamide fibers or a mixture of poly vinyl alcohol-polyacrylic acid arranged in a parallel aggregate and contained in an electrolytic solvent bath such as salt water. The invention includes smart, electrically activated devices exploiting this phenomenon. These devices are capable of being manipulated via active computer control as large displacement actuators for use in adaptive structure such as robots.

  6. Electrically controlled polymeric gel actuators

    DOEpatents

    Adolf, D.B.; Shahinpoor, M.; Segalman, D.J.; Witkowski, W.R.

    1993-10-05

    Electrically controlled polymeric gel actuators or synthetic muscles are described capable of undergoing substantial expansion and contraction when subjected to changing pH environments, temperature, or solvent. The actuators employ compliant containers for the gels and their solvents. The gels employed may be cylindrical electromechanical gel fibers such as polyacrylamide fibers or a mixture of poly vinyl alcohol-polyacrylic acid arranged in a parallel aggregate and contained in an electrolytic solvent bath such as salt water. The invention includes smart, electrically activated devices exploiting this phenomenon. These devices are capable of being manipulated via active computer control as large displacement actuators for use in adaptive structure such as robots. 11 figures.

  7. The methodology of variable management of propellant fuel consumption by jet-propulsion engines of a spacecraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovtun, V. S.

    2012-12-01

    Traditionally, management of propellant fuel consumption on board of a spacecraft is only associated with the operation of jet-propulsion engines (JPE) that are actuator devices of motion control systems (MCS). The efficiency of propellant fuel consumption depends not only on the operation of the MCS, but also, to one extent or another, on all systems functioning on board of a spacecraft, and on processes that occur in them and involve conversion of variable management of propellant fuel consumption by JPEs as a constituent part of the control of the complex process of spacecraft flight.

  8. Mechanical Rectification of Oscillatory Motion for High Torque Microactuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    You, Liang; Tabib-Azar, Massood

    2004-03-01

    High-torque and scalable rotational micromotors were designed, microfabricated using a 3 mask LPCVD polysilicon process, and characterized. Oscillatory motions generated by comb-drive actuators were rectified by a rotor with fins. The actuator periodically deforms the fins generating forces with tangential and normal components in the rotor. Tangential forces generate rotation. In comparison to the electrostatic side-drive micromotor (torque pN-m), the measured torques for these micromotors were much larger and reached 4.5 µN-m at 200Vpp applied to the comb-drive at 1 KHz. Both the comb-drive and the finned rotor are second-order resonant structures that, when coupled, result in interesting dynamic that manifests itself as different excitation (forward, reverse, stepping, and chaotic) modes of the rotor.

  9. Pneumatic Variable Series Elastic Actuator.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Hao; Wu, Molei; Shen, Xiangrong

    2016-08-01

    Inspired by human motor control theory, stiffness control is highly effective in manipulation and human-interactive tasks. The implementation of stiffness control in robotic systems, however, has largely been limited to closed-loop control, and suffers from multiple issues such as limited frequency range, potential instability, and lack of contribution to energy efficiency. Variable-stiffness actuator represents a better solution, but the current designs are complex, heavy, and bulky. The approach in this paper seeks to address these issues by using pneumatic actuator as a variable series elastic actuator (VSEA), leveraging the compressibility of the working fluid. In this work, a pneumatic actuator is modeled as an elastic element with controllable stiffness and equilibrium point, both of which are functions of air masses in the two chambers. As such, for the implementation of stiffness control in a robotic system, the desired stiffness/equilibrium point can be converted to the desired chamber air masses, and a predictive pressure control approach is developed to control the timing of valve switching to obtain the desired air mass while minimizing control action. Experimental results showed that the new approach in this paper requires less expensive hardware (on-off valve instead of proportional valve), causes less control action in implementation, and provides good control performance by leveraging the inherent dynamics of the actuator.

  10. Pneumatic Variable Series Elastic Actuator

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Hao; Wu, Molei; Shen, Xiangrong

    2016-01-01

    Inspired by human motor control theory, stiffness control is highly effective in manipulation and human-interactive tasks. The implementation of stiffness control in robotic systems, however, has largely been limited to closed-loop control, and suffers from multiple issues such as limited frequency range, potential instability, and lack of contribution to energy efficiency. Variable-stiffness actuator represents a better solution, but the current designs are complex, heavy, and bulky. The approach in this paper seeks to address these issues by using pneumatic actuator as a variable series elastic actuator (VSEA), leveraging the compressibility of the working fluid. In this work, a pneumatic actuator is modeled as an elastic element with controllable stiffness and equilibrium point, both of which are functions of air masses in the two chambers. As such, for the implementation of stiffness control in a robotic system, the desired stiffness/equilibrium point can be converted to the desired chamber air masses, and a predictive pressure control approach is developed to control the timing of valve switching to obtain the desired air mass while minimizing control action. Experimental results showed that the new approach in this paper requires less expensive hardware (on–off valve instead of proportional valve), causes less control action in implementation, and provides good control performance by leveraging the inherent dynamics of the actuator. PMID:27354755

  11. Service Test Plan for A-10 Hydraulic Actuators

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-29

    utilizes electroplated chrome as a wear coating on the actuator assembly. This actuator will be delta-qualified while two other actuators will be qualified...2730534-1 Similarity to (1) 3 Elevator Actuator Hydraulic Flight Control System 2730551-5 Similarity to (1) The current chrome electroplating ...process has been proven to be a significant health hazard, and it is anticipated that future Government regulation will make the use of electroplated

  12. Inkjet printing of carbon black electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlatter, Samuel; Rosset, Samuel; Shea, Herbert

    2017-04-01

    Inkjet printing is an appealing technique to print electrodes for Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs). Here we present the preparation and ink-jet printing of a carbon black electrode mixture and characterise its properties. Carbon black has been used extensively in the past because it is very compliant; however, it has a high resistance and can be very dirty to work with. In this paper we show that carbon black remains an appropriate electrode material, and when inkjet printed can be used to fabricate devices meeting today's demanding requirements. DEAs are becoming thinner to decrease actuation voltages and are shrinking in size to match the scale of the devices in the biomedical field, tuneable optics, and microfluidics. Inkjet printing addresses both of these problems. Firstly, Inkjet printing is a non-contact technique and can print on very thin freestanding membranes. Secondly, the high precision of inkjet printers makes it possible to print complex electrode geometries in the millimetre scale. We demonstrate the advantages of inkjet printing and carbon black electrodes by conducting a full characterisation of the printed electrodes. The printed carbon black electrodes have resistances as low as 13kΩ/□, an elastic modulus of approximately 1MPa, and a cyclic resistance swing which increases by 7% over 1500 cycles at 50% stretch. We also demonstrate a DEA with printed carbon black electrodes with a diametral stretch of 8.8% at an electric field of approximately 94V/μm. Finally a qualitative test is conducted to show that the printed carbon black electrode is extremely hardwearing.

  13. Combustion powered linear actuator

    DOEpatents

    Fischer, Gary J.

    2007-09-04

    The present invention provides robotic vehicles having wheeled and hopping mobilities that are capable of traversing (e.g. by hopping over) obstacles that are large in size relative to the robot and, are capable of operation in unpredictable terrain over long range. The present invention further provides combustion powered linear actuators, which can include latching mechanisms to facilitate pressurized fueling of the actuators, as can be used to provide wheeled vehicles with a hopping mobility.

  14. Fuzzy jets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mackey, Lester; Nachman, Benjamin; Schwartzman, Ariel

    Collimated streams of particles produced in high energy physics experiments are organized using clustering algorithms to form jets . To construct jets, the experimental collaborations based at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) primarily use agglomerative hierarchical clustering schemes known as sequential recombination. We propose a new class of algorithms for clustering jets that use infrared and collinear safe mixture models. These new algorithms, known as fuzzy jets , are clustered using maximum likelihood techniques and can dynamically determine various properties of jets like their size. We show that the fuzzy jet size adds additional information to conventional jet tagging variablesmore » in boosted topologies. Furthermore, we study the impact of pileup and show that with some slight modifications to the algorithm, fuzzy jets can be stable up to high pileup interaction multiplicities.« less

  15. Fuzzy jets

    DOE PAGES

    Mackey, Lester; Nachman, Benjamin; Schwartzman, Ariel; ...

    2016-06-01

    Collimated streams of particles produced in high energy physics experiments are organized using clustering algorithms to form jets . To construct jets, the experimental collaborations based at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) primarily use agglomerative hierarchical clustering schemes known as sequential recombination. We propose a new class of algorithms for clustering jets that use infrared and collinear safe mixture models. These new algorithms, known as fuzzy jets , are clustered using maximum likelihood techniques and can dynamically determine various properties of jets like their size. We show that the fuzzy jet size adds additional information to conventional jet tagging variablesmore » in boosted topologies. Furthermore, we study the impact of pileup and show that with some slight modifications to the algorithm, fuzzy jets can be stable up to high pileup interaction multiplicities.« less

  16. Electrodynamic actuators for rocket engine valves

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fiet, O.; Doshi, D.

    1972-01-01

    Actuators, employed in acoustic loudspeakers, operate liquid rocket engine valves by replacing light paper cones with flexible metal diaphragms. Comparative analysis indicates better response time than solenoid actuators, and improved service life and reliability.

  17. Three-dimensional graphene-polypyrrole hybrid electrochemical actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jia; Wang, Zhi; Zhao, Yang; Cheng, Huhu; Hu, Chuangang; Jiang, Lan; Qu, Liangti

    2012-11-01

    The advancement of mechanical actuators benefits from the development of new structural materials with prominent properties. A novel three-dimensional (3D) hydrothermally converted graphene and polypyrrole (G-PPy) hybrid electrochemical actuator is presented, which is prepared via a convenient hydrothermal process, followed by in situ electropolymerization of pyrrole. The 3D pore-interconnected G-PPy pillar exhibits strong actuation responses superior to pure graphene and PPy film. In response to the low potentials of +/-0.8 V, the saturated strain of 3D G-PPy pillar can reach a record of 2.5%, which is more than 10 times higher than that of carbon nanotube film and about 3 times that of unitary graphene film under an applied potential of +/-1.2 V. Also, the 3D G-PPy actuator exhibits high actuation durability with high operating load as demonstrated by an 11 day continuous measurement. Finally, a proof-of-concept application of 3D G-PPy as smart filler for on/off switch is also demonstrated, which indicates the great potential of the 3D G-PPy structure developed in this study for advanced actuator systems.The advancement of mechanical actuators benefits from the development of new structural materials with prominent properties. A novel three-dimensional (3D) hydrothermally converted graphene and polypyrrole (G-PPy) hybrid electrochemical actuator is presented, which is prepared via a convenient hydrothermal process, followed by in situ electropolymerization of pyrrole. The 3D pore-interconnected G-PPy pillar exhibits strong actuation responses superior to pure graphene and PPy film. In response to the low potentials of +/-0.8 V, the saturated strain of 3D G-PPy pillar can reach a record of 2.5%, which is more than 10 times higher than that of carbon nanotube film and about 3 times that of unitary graphene film under an applied potential of +/-1.2 V. Also, the 3D G-PPy actuator exhibits high actuation durability with high operating load as demonstrated by an 11 day

  18. A low-dimensional approach to closed-loop control of a Mach 0.6 jet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Low, Kerwin R.; Berger, Zachary P.; Kostka, Stanislav; ElHadidi, Basman; Gogineni, Sivaram; Glauser, Mark N.

    2013-04-01

    Simultaneous time-resolved measurements of the near-field hydrodynamic pressure field, 2-component streamwise velocity field, and far-field acoustics are taken for an un-heated, axisymmetric Mach 0.6 jet in co-flow. Synthetic jet actuators placed around the periphery of the nozzle lip provide localized perturbations to the shear layer. The goal of this study was to develop an understanding of how the acoustic nature of the jet responds to unsteady shear layer excitation, and subsequently how this can be used to reduce the far-field noise. Review of the cross-correlations between the most energetic low-order spatial Fourier modes of the pressure and the far-field region reveals that mode 0 has a strong correlation and mode 1 has a weak correlation with the far-field. These modes are emulated with the synthetic jet array and used as drivers of the developing shear layer. In open loop forcing configurations, there is energy transfer among spatial scales, enhanced mixing, a reconfiguration of the low-dimensional spatial structure, and an increase in the overall sound pressure level (OASPL). In the closed loop configuration, changes to these quantities are more subtle but there is a reduction in the overall fluctuating sound pressure level OASPLf by 1.35 dB. It is argued that this reduction is correlated with the closed loop control feeding back the dynamical low-order information measured in the largest noise producing region.

  19. Large tangential electric fields in plasmas close to temperature screening

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Velasco, J. L.; Calvo, I.; García-Regaña, J. M.; Parra, F. I.; Satake, S.; Alonso, J. A.; the LHD team

    2018-07-01

    Low collisionality stellarator plasmas usually display a large negative radial electric field that has been expected to cause accumulation of impurities due to their high charge number. In this paper, two combined effects that can potentially modify this scenario are discussed. First, it is shown that, in low collisionality plasmas, the kinetic contribution of the electrons to the radial electric field can make it negative but small, bringing the plasma close to impurity temperature screening (i.e., to a situation in which the ion temperature gradient is the main drive of impurity transport and causes outward flux); in plasmas of very low collisionality, such as those of the large helical device displaying impurity hole (Ida et al (The LHD Experimental Group) 2009 Phys. Plasmas 16 056111; Yoshinuma et al (The LHD Experimental Group) 2009 Nucl. Fusion 49 062002), screening may actually occur. Second, the component of the electric field that is tangent to the flux surface (in other words, the variation of the electrostatic potential on the flux surface), although smaller than the radial component, has recently been suggested to be an additional relevant drive for radial impurity transport. Here, it is explained that, especially when the radial electric field is small, the tangential magnetic drift has to be kept in order to correctly compute the tangential electric field, that can be larger than previously expected. This can have a strong impact on impurity transport, as we illustrate by means of simulations using the newly developed code kinetic orbit-averaging-solver for stellarators, although it is not enough to explain by itself the behavior of the fluxes in situations like the impurity hole.

  20. Large actuation strain over 0.3% in periodically orthogonal poled BaTiO3 ceramics and multilayer actuators via reversible domain switching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qiangzhong; Li, Faxin

    2018-06-01

    Lead titanate zirconate (PZT) ceramics based piezoelectric actuators always suffer from small output strains (typically 0.1%–0.15%) and have recently been criticized for the toxicity problem of the high-concentration lead. In our recent work (Li et al 2017 J. Appl. Phys. 122 074103), we realized large local actuation strain nearly 0.6% in a periodically orthogonal poled (POP) PZT ceramics via reversible domain switching. In this work, we applied the POP method to barium titanate (BT) ceramics and proposed a specially designed multilayer actuator which can output large uniform strain. The simple tetragonal structure of BT ceramics makes it easier to understand the mechanism of reversible domain switching in POP ceramics and its lead-free characteristic is more promising. Firstly, a POP BT ceramic piece was fabricated and the actuation testing results show that local large actuation strain of 0.36% can be obtained under a field of 2 kV mm‑1 at 0.1 Hz. However, the actuation strain is non-uniform along the period direction, varying from 0.22% to 0.36%. Then, to output uniform large strain, a four-layer actuator based on the POP BT ceramics was designed and fabricated in which only the in-plane poled regions of the adjacent layers were bonded. Results show that the output strain turns to be uniform in this way, which is 0.34% under 2 kV mm‑1, resulting in a very high large-signal (=S max/E max) of 1700 pm V‑1. The large actuation strain is very stable and keeps unchanged after 20k cycles of operation. It drops quickly with the increasing frequency and is stabilized at 0.18% above 1.0 Hz. Finally, bipolar field testing was conducted on the POP BT based actuator. Results show that the actuator shows electrostriction-like symmetric bipolar actuation behavior with the repeatable actuation strain of 0.3% under 2 kV mm‑1. This work may provide a feasible solution to low frequency, large-strain lead-free piezoelectric actuation.

  1. Finite element analysis of multilayer DEAP stack-actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuhring, Stefan; Uhlenbusch, Dominik; Hoffstadt, Thorben; Maas, Jürgen

    2015-04-01

    Dielectric elastomers (DE) are thin polymer films belonging to the class of electroactive polymers (EAP). They are coated with compliant and conductive electrodes on each side, which make them performing a relative high amount of deformation with considerable force generation under the influence of an electric field. Because the realization of high electric fields with a limited voltage level requests single layer polymer films to be very thin, novel multilayer actuators are utilized to increase the absolute displacement and force. In case of a multilayer stack-actuator, many actuator films are mechanically stacked in series and electrically connected in parallel. Because there are different ways to design such a stack-actuator, this contribution considers an optimization of some design parameters using the finite element analysis (FEA), whereby the behavior and the actuation of a multilayer dielectric electroactive polymer (DEAP) stack-actuator can be improved. To describe the material behavior, first different material models are compared and necessary material parameters are identified by experiments. Furthermore, a FEA model of a DEAP film is presented, which is expanded to a multilayer DEAP stack-actuator model. Finally, the results of the FEA are discussed and conclusions for design rules of optimized stack-actuators are outlined.

  2. Effect of plasma actuator control parameters on a transitional flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das Gupta, Arnob; Roy, Subrata

    2018-04-01

    This study uses a wall-resolved implicit large eddy simulation to investigate the effects of different surface dielectric barrier discharge actuator parameters such as the geometry of the electrodes, frequency, amplitude of actuation and thermal effect. The actuator is used as a tripping device on a zero-pressure gradient laminar boundary layer flow. It is shown that the standard linear actuator creates structures like the Tollmien-Schlichting wave transition. The circular serpentine, square serpentine and spanwise actuators have subharmonic sinuous streak breakdown and behave like oblique wave transition scenario. The spanwise and square actuators cause comparably faster transition to turbulence. The square actuator adds energy into the higher spanwise wavenumber modes resulting in a faster transition compared to the circular actuator. When the Strouhal number of actuation is varied, the transition does not occur for a value below 0.292. Higher frequencies with same amplitude of actuation lead to faster transition. Small changes (<4%) in the amplitude of actuation can have a significant impact on the transition location which suggests that an optimal combination of frequency and amplitude exists for highest control authority. The thermal bumps approximating the actuator heating only shows localized effects on the later stages of transition for temperatures up to 373 K and can be ignored for standard actuators operating in subsonic regimes.

  3. Dielectric elastomer actuators for octopus inspired suction cups.

    PubMed

    Follador, M; Tramacere, F; Mazzolai, B

    2014-09-25

    Suction cups are often found in nature as attachment strategy in water. Nevertheless, the application of the artificial counterpart is limited by the dimension of the actuators and their usability in wet conditions. A novel design for the development of a suction cup inspired by octopus suckers is presented. The main focus of this research was on the modelling and characterization of the actuation unit, and a first prototype of the suction cup was realized as a proof of concept. The actuation of the suction cup is based on dielectric elastomer actuators. The presented device works in a wet environment, has an integrated actuation system, and is soft. The dimensions of the artificial suction cups are comparable to proximal octopus suckers, and the attachment mechanism is similar to the biological counterpart. The design approach proposed for the actuator allows the definition of the parameters for its development and for obtaining a desired pressure in water. The fabricated actuator is able to produce up to 6 kPa of pressure in water, reaching the maximum pressure in less than 300 ms.

  4. Bio-inspired wooden actuators for large scale applications.

    PubMed

    Rüggeberg, Markus; Burgert, Ingo

    2015-01-01

    Implementing programmable actuation into materials and structures is a major topic in the field of smart materials. In particular the bilayer principle has been employed to develop actuators that respond to various kinds of stimuli. A multitude of small scale applications down to micrometer size have been developed, but up-scaling remains challenging due to either limitations in mechanical stiffness of the material or in the manufacturing processes. Here, we demonstrate the actuation of wooden bilayers in response to changes in relative humidity, making use of the high material stiffness and a good machinability to reach large scale actuation and application. Amplitude and response time of the actuation were measured and can be predicted and controlled by adapting the geometry and the constitution of the bilayers. Field tests in full weathering conditions revealed long-term stability of the actuation. The potential of the concept is shown by a first demonstrator. With the sensor and actuator intrinsically incorporated in the wooden bilayers, the daily change in relative humidity is exploited for an autonomous and solar powered movement of a tracker for solar modules.

  5. Miga Aero Actuator and 2D Machined Mechanical Binary Latch

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gummin, Mark A.

    2013-01-01

    Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators provide the highest force-to-weight ratio of any known actuator. They can be designed for a wide variety of form factors from flat, thin packages, to form-matching packages for existing actuators. SMA actuators can be operated many thousands of times, so that ground testing is possible. Actuation speed can be accurately controlled from milliseconds to position and hold, and even electronic velocity-profile control is possible. SMA actuators provide a high degree of operational flexibility, and are truly smart actuators capable of being accurately controlled by onboard microprocessors across a wide range of voltages. The Miga Aero actuator is a SMA actuator designed specifically for spaceflight applications. Providing 13 mm of stroke with either 20- or 40-N output force in two different models, the Aero actuator is made from low-outgassing PEEK (polyether ether ketone) plastic, stainless steel, and nickel-titanium SMA wires. The modular actuator weighs less than 28 grams. The dorsal output attachment allows the Aero to be used in either PUSH or PULL modes by inverting the mounting orientation. The SPA1 actuator utilizes commercially available SMA actuator wire to provide 3/8-in. (approx. =.1 cm) of stroke at a force of over 28 lb (approx. = .125 N). The force is provided by a unique packaging of the single SMA wire that provides the output force of four SMA wires mechanically in parallel. The output load is shared by allowing the SMA wire to slip around the output attachment end to adjust or balance the load, preventing any individual wire segment from experiencing high loads during actuation. A built-in end limit switch prevents overheating of the SMA element following actuation when used in conjunction with the Miga Analog Driver [a simple MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor) switching circuit]. A simple 2D machined mechanical binary latch has been developed to complement the capabilities of SMA wire

  6. Concomitant sensing and actuation for piezoelectric microrobots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jayaram, Kaushik; Jafferis, Noah T.; Doshi, Neel; Goldberg, Ben; Wood, Robert J.

    2018-06-01

    Sensor fabrication for microrobots is challenging due to their small size and low mass. As a potential solution, we present a technique for estimating the velocity of piezoelectric bending bimorph actuators, a popular choice for driving such microscale devices, that requires simple electronics and no additional mechanical components. Our approach relies on the insight that motion of the actuators causes varying strains on the surface on the piezoelectric material, which via the direct piezoelectric effect, results in a current proportional to the actuator velocity. We propose that the actuator be electrically approximated as a parallel combination of a frequency and voltage dependent resistor and capacitor, and a velocity proportional current source. We develop an experimental procedure to measure these quantities, and are able to experimentally determine the actuator tip velocity to within 10% accuracy over a range of voltages (25–200 V) and frequencies (1–2000 Hz, well beyond actuator resonance). We successfully apply this sensing methodology to two microrobots, the RoboBee and the Harvard Ambulatory MicroRobot (HAMR), to estimate the wing and limb motion respectively. We further use sensor feedback to close the loop on HAMR’s leg phase and obtain desired leg trajectories near transmission resonance. The proposed sensor methodology is generic and can be applied to piezoelectric actuators of different geometries and configurations for uses in microrobotic applications.

  7. Actuator development for the Instrument Pointing System (IPS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Suttner, K.

    1984-01-01

    The mechanisms of the instrument pointing system (IPS) are described. Particular emphasis is placed on the actuators which are necessary for operating the IPS. The actuators are described as follows: (1) two linear actuators that clamp the gimbals down during ascent and descent; (2) two linear actuators that attach the payload to the IPS during the mission, and release it into the payload clamps; (3) one rotational actuator that opens and closes the payload clamps; and (4) three identical drive units that represent the three orthogonal gimbal axes and are the prime movers for pointing. Design features, manufacturing problems, test performance, and results are presented.

  8. Surface Control of Actuated Hybrid Space Mirrors

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-10-01

    precision Nanolaminate foil facesheet and Silicon Carbide ( SiC ) substrate embedded with electroactive ceramic actuators. Wavefront sensors are used to...integrate precision Nanolaminate foil facesheet with Silicon Carbide ( SiC ) substrate equipped with embedded electroactive ceramic actuators...IAC-10.C2.5.8 SURFACE CONTROL OF ACTUATED HYBRID SPACE MIRRORS Brij. N. Agrawal Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, 93943, agrawal

  9. Fe3O4–Silicone Mixture as Flexible Actuator

    PubMed Central

    Song, Kahye

    2018-01-01

    In this study, we introduce Fe3O4-silicone flexible composite actuators fabricated by combining silicone and iron oxide particles. The actuators exploit the flexibility of silicone and the electric conductivity of iron oxide particles. These actuators are activated by electrostatic force using the properties of the metal particles. Herein, we investigate the characteristic changes in actuation performance by increasing the concentration of iron oxide from 1% to 20%. The developed flexible actuators exhibit a resonant frequency near 3 Hz and their actuation amplitudes increase with increasing input voltage. We found that the actuator can move well at metal particle concentrations >2.5%. We also studied the changes in actuation behavior, depending on the portion of the Fe3O4-silicone in the length. Overall, we experimentally analyzed the characteristics of the newly proposed metal particle-silicone composite actuators. PMID:29738466

  10. Wireless Actuation of Micromechanical Resonators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mateen, Farrukh; Maedler, Carsten; Erramilli, Shyamsunder; Mohanty, Pritiraj

    Wireless transfer of power is of fundamental and technical interest with applications ranging from remote operation of electronics, biomedical implants, and device actuation where hard-wired power sources are neither desirable nor practical. In particular, biomedical implants in the body or the brain need small footprint power receiving elements for wireless charging, which can be accomplished by micromechanical resonators. In contrast for fundamental experiments, ultra low-power wireless operation of micromechanical resonators in the microwave range makes low-temperature studies of mechanical systems in the quantum regime possible, where heat carried by the electrical wires in standard actuation techniques is detrimental to maintaining the resonator in a quantum state. We demonstrate successful actuation of micron-sized silicon-based piezoelectric resonators with resonance frequencies from 36 MHz to 120 MHz, at power levels of nanowatts and distances of about 3 feet, including polarization, distance and power dependence measurements. Our demonstration of wireless actuation of micromechanical resonators via electric-field coupling down to nanowatt levels enables a multitude of applications based on micromechanical resonators, inaccessible until now.

  11. Fast bender actuators for fish-like aquatic robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McGovern, S. T.; Spinks, G. M.; Xi, B.; Alici, G.; Truong, V.; Wallace, G. G.

    2008-03-01

    Small, highly-mobile "swimming" robots are desired for underwater monitoring operations, including pollution detection, video mapping and other tasks. Actuator materials of all types are of interest for any application where space is limited. This constraint certainly applies to the small-scale swimming robot, where multiple small actuators are needed for forward/backward propulsion, steering and diving/surfacing. A number of previous studies have demonstrated propulsion of floating objects using IPMC type polymer actuators [1-3] or piezoceramic actuators [4, 5]. Here, we show how propulsion is also possible using a multi-layer polypyrrole bimorph actuator. The actuator is based on our previously published work showing very fast resonance actuation in polypyrrole bending-type actuators [6]. The bending actuator is a tri-layer structure, in which the gold-PVDF (porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane) substrate was coated on both sides with polypyrrole layers to form an electrochemical cell. Polypyrrole films on gold coated PVDF were grown galvanostatically at a current density of 0.10 mA/cm2 for 12 hours from propylene carbonate (PC) solution containing 0.1 M Li+TFSI-, 0.1 M pyrrole and 1% (w/w) water. The polypyrrole deposited PVDF was thoroughly rinsed with acetone and stored in 0.1 M Li+TFSI- / PC solution. The edges of the bulk film were trimmed off and the bending actuators were prepared as rectangular strips typically 2mm wide and 25 mm long. These actuators gave fast operation in air (to 90 Hz), and were utilised as active flexural joints on the tail fin of a fishshaped floating "boat". The actuators were attached to a simple truncated shaped fin and the deflection angle was analysed in both air and liquid for excitation with +/- 1V square wave at a range of frequencies. The mechanical resonance of the fin was seen to be 4.5 Hz in air and 0.45 Hz in PC, which gave deflection angles of approximately 60° and 55° respectively. The boat contained a battery

  12. Direct printing of miniscule aluminum alloy droplets and 3D structures by StarJet technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gerdes, B.; Zengerle, R.; Koltay, P.; Riegger, L.

    2018-07-01

    Drop-on demand printing of molten metal droplets could be used for prototyping 3D objects as a promising alternative to laser melting technologies. However, to date, only few printheads have been investigated for this purpose, and they used only a limited range of materials. The pneumatically actuated StarJet technology enables the direct and non-contact printing of molten metal microdroplets from metal melts at high temperatures. StarJet printheads utilize nozzle chips featuring a star-shaped orifice geometry that leads to formation of droplets inside the nozzle with high precision. In this paper, we present a novel StarJet printhead for printing aluminum (Al) alloys featuring a hybrid design with a ceramic reservoir for the molten metal and an outer shell fabricated from stainless steel. The micro machined nozzle chip is made from silicon carbide (SiC). This printhead can be operated at up to 950 °C, and is capable of printing high melting point metals like Al alloys in standard laboratory conditions. In this work, an aluminum–silicon alloy that features 12% silicon (AlSi12) is printed. The printhead, nozzle, and peripheral actuation system are optimized for stable generation of AlSi12 droplets with high monodispersity, low angular deviation, and miniaturized droplet diameters. As a result, a stable drop-on-demand printing of droplets exhibiting diameters of d droplet  =  702 µm  ±  1% is demonstrated at 5 Hz with a low angular deviation of 0.3°, when a nozzle chip with 500 µm orifice diameter is used. Furthermore, AlSi12 droplets featuring d droplet  =  176 µm  ±  7% are printed when using a nozzle chip with an orifice diameter of 130 µm. Moreover, we present directly printed objects from molten Al alloy droplets, such as high aspect ratio, free-standing walls (aspect ratio 12:1), and directly printed, flexible springs, to demonstrate the principle of 3D printing with molten metal droplets.

  13. A study on the effect of surface topography on the actuation performance of stacked-rolled dielectric electro active polymer actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sait, Usha; Muthuswamy, Sreekumar

    2016-05-01

    Dielectric electro active polymer (DEAP) is a suitable actuator material that finds wide applications in the field of robotics and medical areas. This material is highly controllable, flexible, and capable of developing large strain. The influence of geometrical behavior becomes critical when the material is used as miniaturized actuation devices in robotic applications. The present work focuses on the effect of surface topography on the performance of flat (single sheet) and stacked-rolled DEAP actuators. The non-active areas in the form of elliptical spots that affect the performance of the actuator are identified using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dissipated X-ray (EDX) experiments. Performance of DEAP actuation is critically evaluated, compared, and presented with analytical and experimental results.

  14. Analytical design model for a piezo-composite unimorph actuator and its verification using lightweight piezo-composite curved actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, K. J.; Park, K. H.; Lee, S. K.; Goo, N. S.; Park, H. C.

    2004-06-01

    This paper describes an analytical design model for a layered piezo-composite unimorph actuator and its numerical and experimental verification using a LIPCA (lightweight piezo-composite curved actuator) that is lighter than other conventional piezo-composite type actuators. The LIPCA is composed of top fiber composite layers with high modulus and low CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion), a middle PZT ceramic wafer, and base layers with low modulus and high CTE. The advantages of the LIPCA design are to replace the heavy metal layer of THUNDER by lightweight fiber-reinforced plastic layers without compromising the generation of high force and large displacement and to have design flexibility by selecting the fiber direction and the number of prepreg layers. In addition to the lightweight advantage and design flexibility, the proposed device can be manufactured without adhesive layers when we use a resin prepreg system. A piezo-actuation model for a laminate with piezo-electric material layers and fiber composite layers is proposed to predict the curvature and residual stress of the LIPCA. To predict the actuation displacement of the LIPCA with curvature, a finite element analysis method using the proposed piezo-actuation model is introduced. The predicted deformations are in good agreement with the experimental ones.

  15. True Low-Power Self-Locking Soft Actuators.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seung Jae; Kim, Onnuri; Park, Moon Jeong

    2018-03-01

    Natural double-layered structures observed in living organisms are known to exhibit asymmetric volume changes with environmental triggers. Typical examples are natural roots of plants, which show unique self-organized bending behavior in response to environmental stimuli. Herein, light- and electro-active polymer (LEAP) based actuators with a double-layered structure are reported. The LEAP actuators exhibit an improvement of 250% in displacement and hold an object three times heavier as compared to that in the case of conventional electro-active polymer actuators. Most interestingly, the bending motion of the LEAP actuators can be effectively locked for a few tens of minutes even in the absence of a power supply. Further, the self-locking LEAP actuators show a large and reversible bending strain of more than 2.0% and require only 6.2 mW h cm -2 of energy to hold an object for 15 min at an operating voltage of 3 V. These novel self-locking soft actuators should find wide applicability in artificial muscles, biomedical microdevices, and various innovative soft robot technologies. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Electrostatic actuators for portable microfluidic systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tice, Joshua

    Both developed and developing nations have an urgent need to diagnose disease cheaply, reliably, and independently of centralized facilities. Microfulidic platforms are well-positioned to address the need for portable diagnostics, mainly due to their obvious advantage in size. However, most microfluidic methods rely on equipment outside of the chip either for driving fluid flow (e.g., syringe pumps) or for taking measurements (e.g., lasers or microscopes). The energy and space requirements of the whole system inhibit portability and contribute to costs. To capitalize on the strengths of microfluidic platforms and address the serious needs of society, system components need to be miniaturized. Also, miniaturization should be accomplished as simply as possible, considering that simplicity is usually requisite for achieving truly transformative technology. Herein, I attempt to address the issue of controlling fluid flow in portable microfluidic systems. I focus on systems that are driven by elastomer-based membrane valves, since these valves are inherently simple, yet they are capable of sophisticated fluid manipulation. Others have attempted to modify pneumatic microvalves for portable applications, e.g., by transitioning to electromagnetic, thermopneumatic, or piezoelectric actuation principles. However, none of these strategies maintain the proper balance of simplicity, functionality, and ease of integration. My research centers on electrostatic actuators, due to their conceptual simplicity and the efficacy of electrostatic forces on the microscale. To ensure easy integration with polymer-based systems, and to maintain simplicity in the fabrication procedure, the actuators were constructed solely from poly(dimethylsiloxane) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. In addition, the actuators were fabricated exclusively with soft-lithographic techniques. A mathematical model was developed to identify actuator parameters compatible with soft-lithography, and also to

  17. Navier-Stokes flowfield computation of wing/rotor interaction for a tilt rotor aircraft in hover

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fejtek, Ian G.

    1993-01-01

    The download on the wing produced by the rotor-induced downwash of a tilt rotor aircraft in hover is of major concern because of its severe impact on payload-carrying capability. A method has been developed to help gain a better understanding of the fundamental fluid dynamics that causes this download, and to help find ways to reduce it. In particular, the method is employed in this work to analyze the effect of a tangential leading edge circulation-control jet on download reduction. Because of the complexities associated with modeling the complete configuration, this work focuses specifically on the wing/rotor interaction of a tilt rotor aircraft in hover. The three-dimensional, unsteady, thin-layer compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a time-accurate, implicit, finite difference scheme that employs LU-ADI factorization. The rotor is modeled as an actuator disk which imparts both a radical and an azimuthal distribution of pressure rise and swirl to the flowfield. A momentum theory blade element analysis of the rotor is incorporated into the Navier-Stokes solution method. Solution blanking at interior points of the mesh has been shown here to be an effective technique in introducing the effects of the rotor and tangential leading edge jet. Results are presented both for a rotor alone and for wing/rotor interaction. The overall mean characteristics of the rotor flowfield are computed including the flow acceleration through the rotor disk, the axial and swirl velocities in the rotor downwash, and the slipstream contraction. Many of the complex tilt rotor flow features are captured including the highly three-dimensional flow over the wing, the recirculation fountain at the plane of symmetry, wing leading and trailing edge separation, and the large region of separated flow beneath the wing. Mean wing surface pressures compare fairly well with available experimental data, but the time-averaged download/thrust ratio is 20-30 percent higher than the

  18. Polymer-based actuators for virtual reality devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolzmacher, Christian; Hafez, Moustapha; Benali Khoudja, Mohamed; Bernardoni, Paul; Dubowsky, Steven

    2004-07-01

    Virtual Reality (VR) is gaining more importance in our society. For many years, VR has been limited to the entertainment applications. Today, practical applications such as training and prototyping find a promising future in VR. Therefore there is an increasing demand for low-cost, lightweight haptic devices in virtual reality (VR) environment. Electroactive polymers seem to be a potential actuation technology that could satisfy these requirements. Dielectric polymers developed the past few years have shown large displacements (more than 300%). This feature makes them quite interesting for integration in haptic devices due to their muscle-like behaviour. Polymer actuators are flexible and lightweight as compared to traditional actuators. Using stacks with several layers of elatomeric film increase the force without limiting the output displacement. The paper discusses some design methods for a linear dielectric polymer actuator for VR devices. Experimental results of the actuator performance is presented.

  19. Development of a metal-based composite actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asanuma, Hiroshi; Haga, Osamu; Ishii, Toshio; Kurihara, Haruki; Ohira, Junichiro; Hakoda, Genji

    2000-06-01

    This paper describes a basic concept and elemental developments to realize a metal based composite actuator to be used for smart structures. In this study, CFRP prepreg was laminated on aluminum plate to develop an actuator and this laminate could perform unidirectional actuation. SiC continuous fiber/Al composite thin plate could also be used for form a modified type of actuator instead of using CFRP. As sensors to be embedded in this actuator, the following ones wee developed. (1) A pre-notched optical fiber filament could be embedded in aluminum matrix without fracture by the interphase forming/bonding method with copper insert and could be fractured in it at the notch, which enabled forming of an optical interference type strain sensor. (2) Nickel wire could be uniformly oxidized and embedded in aluminum matrix without fracture, which could successfully work as a temperature sensor and a strain sensor.

  20. Paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jaehwan; Yun, Sungryul; Mahadeva, Suresha K; Yun, Kiju; Yang, Sang Yeol; Maniruzzaman, Mohammad

    2010-01-01

    Recently, cellulose has been re-discovered as a smart material that can be used as sensor and actuator materials, which is termed electro-active paper (EAPap). This paper reports recent advances in paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes, conducting polymers and ionic liquids. Two distinct actuator principles in EAPap actuators are demonstrated: piezoelectric effect and ion migration effect in cellulose. Piezoelectricity of cellulose EAPap is quite comparable with other piezoelectric polymers. But, it is biodegradable, biocompatible, mechanically strong and thermally stable. To enhance ion migration effect in the cellulose, polypyrrole conducting polymer and ionic liquids were nanocoated on the cellulose film. This hybrid cellulose EAPap nanocomposite exhibits durable bending actuation in an ambient humidity and temperature condition. Fabrication, characteristics and performance of the cellulose EAPap and its hybrid EAPap materials are illustrated. Also, its possibility for remotely microwave-driven paper actuator is demonstrated.

  1. Characterizing G-Loading, Swirl Direction, and Rayleigh Losses in an Ultra Compact Combustor

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-07-01

    temperature, pressure, and emission measurements, and liquid fuel and Jet Cat control. The code layout and functionality was simple in comparison to...84 3.6.4. Cavity Air Jet Diameter Influence on g-Loading...21 Figure 15. Cavity air injection jet diameter relationship to g-loading and tangential velocity [4] 22 Figure

  2. Micromachined actuators/sensors for intratubular positioning/steering

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Abraham P.; Krulevitch, Peter A.; Northrup, M. Allen; Trevino, Jimmy C.

    1998-01-01

    Micromachined thin film cantilever actuators having means for individually controlling the deflection of the cantilevers, valve members, and rudders for steering same through blood vessels, or positioning same within a blood vessel, for example. Such cantilever actuators include tactile sensor arrays mounted on a catheter or guide wire tip for navigation and tissues identification, shape-memory alloy film based catheter/guide wire steering mechanisms, and rudder-based steering devices that allow the selective actuation of rudders that use the flowing blood itself to help direct the catheter direction through the blood vessel. While particularly adapted for medical applications, these cantilever actuators can be used for steering through piping and tubing systems.

  3. Dual output variable pitch turbofan actuation system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Griswold, R. H., Jr.; Broman, C. L. (Inventor)

    1976-01-01

    An improved actuating mechanism was provided for a gas turbine engine incorporating fan blades of the variable pitch variety, the actuator adapted to rotate the individual fan blades within apertures in an associated fan disc. The actuator included means such as a pair of synchronizing ring gears, one on each side of the blade shanks, and adapted to engage pinions disposed thereon. Means were provided to impart rotation to the ring gears in opposite directions to effect rotation of the blade shanks in response to a predetermined input signal. In the event of system failure, a run-away actuator was prevented by an improved braking device which arrests the mechanism.

  4. Extensional ionomeric polymer conductor composite actuators with ionic liquids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Sheng; Lin, Minren; Zhang, Qiming

    2008-03-01

    Although the Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) actuators developed up to date are in the form of bending actuators, development of extensional actuators based on IMPC is highly desirable from practical applications and fundamental understanding points of view. This talk presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a recent work on an extensional Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite actuator. The extensional actuator consists of the Nafion ionomer as the matrix and the sub-micron size RuO II particles as the conductive filler for the conductor/ionomr composites. In this investigation, several ionic liquids (IL) were investigated. For a Nafion/RuO II composite with 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (EMI-Tf) IL, it was found that as the ions are driven into the ionomer/RuO II composite (the composite under negative voltage), an extensional strain of 0.9% was observed; while as the ions were expelled from the ionomer/RuO II composite (under positive voltage), a contraction of -1.2% was observed. The results indicate that multiple ions are participating in charge transport and actuation process. In this paper, we also discuss several design considerations for future extensional actuators with fast response, much improved strain and stress level. Especially an actuator based on multilayer configuration can significantly increase the electric field level in the actuator and consequently significantly improve the actuator speed. The extensional actuator investigated here provides a unique platform to investigate various phenomena related to ion transport and their interaction with the ionomer/conductor matrix to realize high electromechanical performance.

  5. Tension Stiffened and Tendon Actuated Manipulator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dorsey, John T. (Inventor); Mercer, Charles D. (Inventor); Ganoe, George G. (Inventor); Doggett, William R. (Inventor); King, Bruce D. (Inventor); Jones, Thomas C. (Inventor); Corbin, Cole K. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A tension stiffened and tendon actuated manipulator is provided performing robotic-like movements when acquiring a payload. The manipulator design can be adapted for use in-space, lunar or other planetary installations as it is readily configurable for acquiring and precisely manipulating a payload in both a zero-g environment and in an environment with a gravity field. The manipulator includes a plurality of link arms, a hinge connecting adjacent link arms together to allow the adjacent link arms to rotate relative to each other and a cable actuation and tensioning system provided between adjacent link arms. The cable actuation and tensioning system includes a spreader arm and a plurality of driven and non-driven elements attached to the link arms and the spreader arm. At least one cable is routed around the driven and non-driven elements for actuating the hinge.

  6. Membrane Mirrors With Bimorph Shape Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yang, Eui-Hyeok

    2003-01-01

    Deformable mirrors of a proposed type would be equipped with relatively-large-stroke microscopic piezoelectric actuators that would be used to maintain their reflective surfaces in precise shapes. These mirrors would be members of the class of MEMS-DM (for microelectromechanical system deformable mirror) devices, which offer potential for a precise optical control in adaptive-optics applications in such diverse fields as astronomy and vision science. The proposed mirror would be fabricated, in part, by use of a membrane-transfer technique. The actuator design would contain bimorph-type piezoelectric actuators.

  7. Hydraulic Actuator System for Rotor Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ulbrich, Heinz; Althaus, Josef

    1991-01-01

    In the last ten years, several different types of actuators were developed and fabricated for active control of rotors. A special hydraulic actuator system capable of generating high forces to rotating shafts via conventional bearings is addressed. The actively controlled hydraulic force actuator features an electrohydraulic servo valve which can produce amplitudes and forces at high frequencies necessary for influencing rotor vibrations. The mathematical description will be given in detail. The experimental results verify the theoretical model. Simulations already indicate the usefulness of this compact device for application to a real rotor system.

  8. Active Control of Fan Noise by Vane Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Curtis, Alan R. D.

    1999-01-01

    An active noise control system for ducted fan noise was built that uses actuators located in stator vanes. The actuators were piezoelectric benders manufactured using the THUNDER technology and were custom designed for the application. The active noise control system was installed in the NASA ANCF rig. Four actuator array with a total of 168 actuators in 28 stator vanes were used. Simultaneous reductions of acoustic power in both the inlet and exhaust duct were demonstrated for a fan disturbance that contained two radial mode orders in both inlet and exhaust. Total power levels in the target modes were reduced by up to 9 dB in the inlet and total tone levels by over 6 dB while exhaust power levels were reduced by up to 3 dB. Far field sound pressure level reductions of up to 17 dB were observed. A simpler control system, matched to the location of the disturbance with two radial actuator arrays, was demonstrated to control total acoustic power in four disturbance modes simultaneously in inlet and exhaust. The vane actuator met the requirements given for the ANCF, although in practice the performance of the system was limited by the constraints of the power amplifiers and the presence of control spillover. The vane actuators were robust. None of the 168 vane actuators failed during the tests.

  9. High-Force Dielectric Electroactive Polymer (DEAP) membrane actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hau, Steffen; York, Alexander; Seelecke, Stefan

    2016-04-01

    Energy efficiency, lightweight and scalability are key features for actuators in applications such as valves, pumps or any portable system. Dielectric electroactive Polymer (DEAP) technology is able to fulfill these requirements1 better than commonly used technology e.g. solenoids, but has limitations concerning force and stroke. However, the circular DEAP membrane actuator shows a potential increase in stroke in the mm range, when combined with an appropriate biasing mechanism2. Although, thus far, their force range is limited to the single-digit Newton range, or less3,4. This work describes how this force limit of DEAP membrane actuators can be pushed to the high double-digit Newton range and beyond. The concept for such an actuator consists of a stack of double-layered DEAPs membrane actuator combined with a biasing mechanism. These two components are combined in a novel way, which allows a compact design by integrating the biasing mechanism into the DEAP membrane actuator stack. Subsequently, the single components are manufactured, tested, and their force-displacement characteristic is documented. Utilizing this data allows assembling them into actuator systems for different applications. Two different actuators are assembled and tested (dimensions: 85x85x30mm3 (LxWxH)). The first one is able to lift 7.5kg. The second one can generate a force of 66N while acting against a spring load.

  10. EMC design for actuators in the FAST reflector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hai-Yan; Wu, Ming-Chang; Yue, You-Ling; Gan, Heng-Qian; Hu, Hao; Huang, Shi-Jie

    2018-04-01

    An active reflector is one of the three main innovations incorporated in the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). The deformation of such a huge spherically shaped reflector into different transient parabolic shapes is achieved by using 2225 hydraulic actuators which change the position of the 2225 nodes through the connected down tied cables. For each different tracking process of the telescope, more than 1/3 of these 2225 actuators must be in operation to tune the parabolic aperture accurately and meet the surface error restriction. This means that some of these actuators are inevitably located within the main beam of the receiver, and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) from the actuators must be mitigated to ensure the scientific output of the telescope. Based on the threshold level of interference detrimental to radio astronomy described in ITU-R Recommendation RA.769 and EMI measurements, the shielding efficiency (SE) requirement for each actuator is set to be 80 dB in the frequency range from 70 MHz to 3 GHz. Therefore, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) was taken into account in the actuator design by measures such as power line filters, optical fibers, shielding enclosures and other structural measures. In 2015, all the actuators had been installed at the FAST site. Till now, no apparent EMI from the actuators has been detected by the receiver, which demonstrates the effectiveness of these EMC measures.

  11. Fiber-Reinforced Origamic Robotic Actuator.

    PubMed

    Yi, Juan; Chen, Xiaojiao; Song, Chaoyang; Wang, Zheng

    2018-02-01

    A novel pneumatic soft linear actuator Fiber-reinforced Origamic Robotic Actuator (FORA) is proposed with significant improvements on the popular McKibben-type actuators, offering nearly doubled motion range, substantially improved force profile, and significantly lower actuation pressure. The desirable feature set is made possible by a novel soft origamic chamber that expands radially while contracts axially when pressurized. Combining this new origamic chamber with a reinforcing fiber mesh, FORA generates very high traction force (over 150N) and very large contractile motion (over 50%) at very low input pressure (100 kPa). We developed quasi-static analytical models both to characterize the motion and forces and as guidelines for actuator design. Fabrication of FORA mostly involves consumer-grade three-dimensional (3D) printing. We provide a detailed list of materials and dimensions. Fabricated FORAs were tested on a dedicated platform against commercially available pneumatic artificial muscles from Shadow and Festo to showcase its superior performances and validate the analytical models with very good agreements. Finally, a robotic joint was developed driven by two antagonistic FORAs, to showcase the benefits of the performance improvements. With its simple structure, fully characterized mechanism, easy fabrication procedure, and highly desirable performance, FORA could be easily customized to application requirements and fabricated by anyone with access to a 3D printer. This will pave the way to the wider adaptation and application of soft robotic systems.

  12. Tangential Flow Filtration of Colloidal Silver Nanoparticles: A "Green" Laboratory Experiment for Chemistry and Engineering Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dorney, Kevin M.; Baker, Joshua D.; Edwards, Michelle L.; Kanel, Sushil R.; O'Malley, Matthew; Pavel Sizemore, Ioana E.

    2014-01-01

    Numerous nanoparticle (NP) fabrication methodologies employ "bottom-up" syntheses, which may result in heterogeneous mixtures of NPs or may require toxic capping agents to reduce NP polydispersity. Tangential flow filtration (TFF) is an alternative "green" technique for the purification, concentration, and size-selection of…

  13. Tough Nanocomposite Ionogel-based Actuator Exhibits Robust Performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xinhua; He, Bin; Wang, Zhipeng; Tang, Haifeng; Su, Teng; Wang, Qigang

    2014-10-01

    Ionogel electrolytes can be fabricated for electrochemical actuators with many desirable advantages, including direct low-voltage control in air, high electrochemical and thermal stability, and complete silence during actuation. However, the demands for active actuators with above features and load-driving ability remain a challenge; much work is necessary to enhance the mechanical strength of electrolyte materials. Herein, we describe a cross-linked supramolecular approach to prepare tough nanocomposite gel electrolytes from HEMA, BMIMBF4, and TiO2 via self-initiated UV polymerization. The tough and stable ionogels are emerging to fabricate electric double-layer capacitor-like soft actuators, which can be driven by electrically induced ion migration. The ionogel-based actuator shows a displacement response of 5.6 mm to the driving voltage of 3.5 V. After adding the additional mass weight of the same as the actuator, it still shows a large displacement response of 3.9 mm. Furthermore, the actuator can not only work in harsh temperature environments (100°C and -10°C) but also realize the goal of grabbing an object by adjusting the applied voltage.

  14. Bio-Inspired Wooden Actuators for Large Scale Applications

    PubMed Central

    Rüggeberg, Markus; Burgert, Ingo

    2015-01-01

    Implementing programmable actuation into materials and structures is a major topic in the field of smart materials. In particular the bilayer principle has been employed to develop actuators that respond to various kinds of stimuli. A multitude of small scale applications down to micrometer size have been developed, but up-scaling remains challenging due to either limitations in mechanical stiffness of the material or in the manufacturing processes. Here, we demonstrate the actuation of wooden bilayers in response to changes in relative humidity, making use of the high material stiffness and a good machinability to reach large scale actuation and application. Amplitude and response time of the actuation were measured and can be predicted and controlled by adapting the geometry and the constitution of the bilayers. Field tests in full weathering conditions revealed long-term stability of the actuation. The potential of the concept is shown by a first demonstrator. With the sensor and actuator intrinsically incorporated in the wooden bilayers, the daily change in relative humidity is exploited for an autonomous and solar powered movement of a tracker for solar modules. PMID:25835386

  15. Tough nanocomposite ionogel-based actuator exhibits robust performance.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xinhua; He, Bin; Wang, Zhipeng; Tang, Haifeng; Su, Teng; Wang, Qigang

    2014-10-20

    Ionogel electrolytes can be fabricated for electrochemical actuators with many desirable advantages, including direct low-voltage control in air, high electrochemical and thermal stability, and complete silence during actuation. However, the demands for active actuators with above features and load-driving ability remain a challenge; much work is necessary to enhance the mechanical strength of electrolyte materials. Herein, we describe a cross-linked supramolecular approach to prepare tough nanocomposite gel electrolytes from HEMA, BMIMBF4, and TiO2 via self-initiated UV polymerization. The tough and stable ionogels are emerging to fabricate electric double-layer capacitor-like soft actuators, which can be driven by electrically induced ion migration. The ionogel-based actuator shows a displacement response of 5.6 mm to the driving voltage of 3.5 V. After adding the additional mass weight of the same as the actuator, it still shows a large displacement response of 3.9 mm. Furthermore, the actuator can not only work in harsh temperature environments (100°C and -10°C) but also realize the goal of grabbing an object by adjusting the applied voltage.

  16. Tough Nanocomposite Ionogel-based Actuator Exhibits Robust Performance

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Xinhua; He, Bin; Wang, Zhipeng; Tang, Haifeng; Su, Teng; Wang, Qigang

    2014-01-01

    Ionogel electrolytes can be fabricated for electrochemical actuators with many desirable advantages, including direct low-voltage control in air, high electrochemical and thermal stability, and complete silence during actuation. However, the demands for active actuators with above features and load-driving ability remain a challenge; much work is necessary to enhance the mechanical strength of electrolyte materials. Herein, we describe a cross-linked supramolecular approach to prepare tough nanocomposite gel electrolytes from HEMA, BMIMBF4, and TiO2 via self-initiated UV polymerization. The tough and stable ionogels are emerging to fabricate electric double-layer capacitor-like soft actuators, which can be driven by electrically induced ion migration. The ionogel-based actuator shows a displacement response of 5.6 mm to the driving voltage of 3.5 V. After adding the additional mass weight of the same as the actuator, it still shows a large displacement response of 3.9 mm. Furthermore, the actuator can not only work in harsh temperature environments (100°C and −10°C) but also realize the goal of grabbing an object by adjusting the applied voltage. PMID:25327414

  17. Torsional actuator motor using solid freeform fabricated PZT ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Chulho; Wu, Carl C. M.; Bender, Barry

    2004-07-01

    A torsional actuator has been developed at NRL utilizing the high piezoelectric shear coefficient, d15. This torsional actuator uses an even number of alternately poled segments of electroactive PZT. Under an applied electric field, the torsional actuator produces large angular displacement and a high torque. The solid freeform fabrication technique of the laminated object manufacturing (LOM) is used for rapid prototyping of torsional actuator with potential cost and time saving. First step to demonstrate the feasibility of the LOM technique for the torsional actuator device fabrication is to make near net shape segments. We report a prototype PZT torsional actuator using LOM prepared PZT-5A segments. Fabrication processes and test results are described. The torsional actuator PZT-5A tube has dimensions of 13 cm long, 2.54 cm OD and 1.9 cm ID. Although the piezoelectric strain is small, it may be converted into large displacement via accumulation of the small single cycle displacements over many cycles using AC driving voltage such as with a rotary 'inchworm' actuator or an ultrasonic rotary motor. A working prototype of a full-cycle motor driven by the piezoelectric torsional actuator has been achieved. The rotational speed is 1,200 rpm under 200 V/cm field at the resonant frequency of 4.5 kHz.

  18. A Reconfigurable Pneumatic Bending Actuator with Replaceable Inflation Modules.

    PubMed

    Natividad, Rainier; Del Rosario, Manuel; Chen, Peter C Y; Yeow, Chen-Hua

    2018-06-01

    A fully reconfigurable, pneumatic bending actuator is fabricated by implementing the concept of modularity to soft robotics. The actuator features independent, removable, fabric inflation modules that are attached to a common flexible but non-inflating plastic spine. The fabric modules are individually fabricated by heat sealing a thermoplastic polyurethane-coated nylon fabric, whereas the spine is manufactured through fused deposition modeling 3D printing; the components can be assembled and dismantled without the aid of any external tools. The replacement of specific modules along the array facilitates the reconfiguration of the actuator's bending trajectory and torque output; likewise, the combination of inflation modules with dissimilar geometries translates to several different trajectories on a single spine and allows the actuator to bend into assorted, unique structures. A detailed description of the actuator's design is thoroughly presented. We explored how reconfiguration of the actuator's modular geometry affected both the steady state and the dynamic characteristics of the actuator. The torque output of the actuator is proportional to the magnitude of the pressure applied. The actuator was excited by sinusoidal and square pressure inputs, and a second-order linear fit was performed. There were no perceived changes in its performance even after 100,000 inflation and deflation cycles.

  19. Rigid-flexible coupling dynamic modeling and investigation of a redundantly actuated parallel manipulator with multiple actuation modes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Dong; Song, Yimin; Sun, Tao; Jin, Xueying

    2017-09-01

    A systematic dynamic modeling methodology is presented to develop the rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model (RFDM) of an emerging flexible parallel manipulator with multiple actuation modes. By virtue of assumed mode method, the general dynamic model of an arbitrary flexible body with any number of lumped parameters is derived in an explicit closed form, which possesses the modular characteristic. Then the completely dynamic model of system is formulated based on the flexible multi-body dynamics (FMD) theory and the augmented Lagrangian multipliers method. An approach of combining the Udwadia-Kalaba formulation with the hybrid TR-BDF2 numerical algorithm is proposed to address the nonlinear RFDM. Two simulation cases are performed to investigate the dynamic performance of the manipulator with different actuation modes. The results indicate that the redundant actuation modes can effectively attenuate vibration and guarantee higher dynamic performance compared to the traditional non-redundant actuation modes. Finally, a virtual prototype model is developed to demonstrate the validity of the presented RFDM. The systematic methodology proposed in this study can be conveniently extended for the dynamic modeling and controller design of other planar flexible parallel manipulators, especially the emerging ones with multiple actuation modes.

  20. Performance range of SMA actuator wires and SMA-FRP structure in terms of manufacturing, modeling and actuation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hübler, M.; Gurka, M.; Schmeer, S.; Breuer, U. P.

    2013-09-01

    In this contribution we present a comprehensive theoretical and experimental description of an active shape memory alloy (SMA) fiber reinforced composite (FRP) hybrid structure. The major influences on actuation performance arising from variations in the design and manufacturing process are discussed, utilizing a new phenomenological model to describe the actuating SMA material. The different material properties for the activated, respective the unactivated, SMA as well as the influence of different loading conditions or pre-treatment of the material are taken into account in this model. To validate our material model we performed new actuation experiments with an exemplary SMA-FRP structure, which we compared to finite element (FE) simulation results. Our FE-model is based on a material model for the actuating SMA elements derived from experiments and data on the actual microscopic geometry of the hybrid composite. Therefore it is able to predict very precisely the actuation behavior of a typical FRP structure for industrial use cases: a thin walled CFRP sheet with SMA wires attached to the top for performing a bending motion with a maximum deflection of approx. 25% of its length.

  1. Fast-acting valve actuator

    DOEpatents

    Cho, Nakwon

    1980-01-01

    A fast-acting valve actuator utilizes a spring driven pneumatically loaded piston to drive a valve gate. Rapid exhaust of pressurized gas from the pneumatically loaded side of the piston facilitates an extremely rapid piston stroke. A flexible selector diaphragm opens and closes an exhaust port in response to pressure differentials created by energizing and de-energizing a solenoid which controls the pneumatic input to the actuator as well as selectively providing a venting action to one side of the selector diaphragm.

  2. Tetherless thermobiochemically actuated microgrippers.

    PubMed

    Leong, Timothy G; Randall, Christina L; Benson, Bryan R; Bassik, Noy; Stern, George M; Gracias, David H

    2009-01-20

    We demonstrate mass-producible, tetherless microgrippers that can be remotely triggered by temperature and chemicals under biologically relevant conditions. The microgrippers use a self-contained actuation response, obviating the need for external tethers in operation. The grippers can be actuated en masse, even while spatially separated. We used the microgrippers to perform diverse functions, such as picking up a bead on a substrate and the removal of cells from tissue embedded at the end of a capillary (an in vitro biopsy).

  3. Receptivity of a precessing vortex core to open-loop forcing in a swirling jet and its predictability by linear stability adjoint theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Müller, Jens; Lückoff, Finn; Oberleithner, Kilian

    2017-11-01

    The precessing vortex core (PVC) is a dominant coherent structure which occurs in swirling jets such as in swirl-stabilised gas turbine combustors. It stems from a global hydrodynamic instability caused by an internal feedback mechanism within the jet core. In this work, open-loop forcing is applied to a generic non-reacting swirling jet to investigate its receptivity to external actuation regarding lock-in behaviour of the PVC for different streamwise positions and Reynolds numbers. The forcing is periodically exerted by zero net mass flux synthetic jets which are introduced radially through slits inside the duct walls upstream of the swirling jet's exit plane. Time-resolved pressure measurements are conducted to identify the PVC frequency and stereo PIV combined with proper orthogonal decomposition in the duct and free field is used to extract the mean flow and the PVC mode. The data is used in a global linear stability framework to gain the adjoint of the PVC which reveals the regions of highest receptivity to periodic forcing based on mean flow input only. This theoretical receptivity model is compared with the experimentally obtained receptivity results and the validity and applicability of the adjoint model for the prediction of optimal forcing positions is discussed.

  4. Effect of platelet-shaped graphene additives on actuating response of carbon nanotube/ionic liquid/polymer composite actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monobe, Hirosato; Tsuchiya, Nobuyuki; Yamamura, Masahiro; Mukai, Ken; Sugino, Takushi; Asaka, Kinji

    2018-03-01

    In this study, the platelet-shaped graphene was used as a conductive additive in porous electrodes of a dry-type polymer actuator consisting of carbon nanotube (CNT), ionic liquid, and a base polymer to improve actuation properties. The generated strain was estimated from the bending motion of the actuator in the frequency range from 0.005 to 10 Hz. Ten different types of electrode film were prepared by changing the mixing amounts and surface areas of the platelet-shaped graphene. When a small amount of graphene (30 mg) relative to CNT (50 mg) was added to the CNT electrode, the strain was increased to be almost twice larger than that of CNT (50 mg) without any additives. The strain coefficient of the three-layered actuator with CNT electrodes with graphene additives is positively correlated with the capacitance per volume of such electrodes.

  5. An Unconventional Inchworm Actuator Based on PZT/ERFs Control Technology

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Guojun; Zhang, Yanyan; Liu, Jianfang; Li, Jianqiao; Tang, Chunxiu; Wang, Tengfei; Yang, Xuhao

    2016-01-01

    An unconventional inchworm actuator for precision positioning based on piezoelectric (PZT) actuation and electrorheological fluids (ERFs) control technology is presented. The actuator consists of actuation unit (PZT stack pump), fluid control unit (ERFs valve), and execution unit (hydraulic actuator). In view of smaller deformation of PZT stack, a new structure is designed for actuation unit, which integrates the advantages of two modes (namely, diaphragm type and piston type) of the volume changing of pump chamber. In order to improve the static shear yield strength of ERFs, a composite ERFs valve is designed, which adopts the series-parallel plate compound structure. The prototype of the inchworm actuator has been designed and manufactured in the lab. Systematic test results indicate that the displacement resolution of the unconventional inchworm actuator reaches 0.038 μm, and the maximum driving force and velocity are 42 N, 14.8 mm/s, respectively. The optimal working frequency for the maximum driving velocity is 120 Hz. The complete research and development processes further confirm the feasibility of developing a new type of inchworm actuator with high performance based on PZT actuation and ERFs control technology, which provides a reference for the future development of a new type of actuator. PMID:27022234

  6. An Unconventional Inchworm Actuator Based on PZT/ERFs Control Technology.

    PubMed

    Liu, Guojun; Zhang, Yanyan; Liu, Jianfang; Li, Jianqiao; Tang, Chunxiu; Wang, Tengfei; Yang, Xuhao

    2016-01-01

    An unconventional inchworm actuator for precision positioning based on piezoelectric (PZT) actuation and electrorheological fluids (ERFs) control technology is presented. The actuator consists of actuation unit (PZT stack pump), fluid control unit (ERFs valve), and execution unit (hydraulic actuator). In view of smaller deformation of PZT stack, a new structure is designed for actuation unit, which integrates the advantages of two modes (namely, diaphragm type and piston type) of the volume changing of pump chamber. In order to improve the static shear yield strength of ERFs, a composite ERFs valve is designed, which adopts the series-parallel plate compound structure. The prototype of the inchworm actuator has been designed and manufactured in the lab. Systematic test results indicate that the displacement resolution of the unconventional inchworm actuator reaches 0.038 μm, and the maximum driving force and velocity are 42 N, 14.8 mm/s, respectively. The optimal working frequency for the maximum driving velocity is 120 Hz. The complete research and development processes further confirm the feasibility of developing a new type of inchworm actuator with high performance based on PZT actuation and ERFs control technology, which provides a reference for the future development of a new type of actuator.

  7. Paper Actuators Made with Cellulose and Hybrid Materials

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jaehwan; Yun, Sungryul; Mahadeva, Suresha K.; Yun, Kiju; Yang, Sang Yeol; Maniruzzaman, Mohammad

    2010-01-01

    Recently, cellulose has been re-discovered as a smart material that can be used as sensor and actuator materials, which is termed electro-active paper (EAPap). This paper reports recent advances in paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes, conducting polymers and ionic liquids. Two distinct actuator principles in EAPap actuators are demonstrated: piezoelectric effect and ion migration effect in cellulose. Piezoelectricity of cellulose EAPap is quite comparable with other piezoelectric polymers. But, it is biodegradable, biocompatible, mechanically strong and thermally stable. To enhance ion migration effect in the cellulose, polypyrrole conducting polymer and ionic liquids were nanocoated on the cellulose film. This hybrid cellulose EAPap nanocomposite exhibits durable bending actuation in an ambient humidity and temperature condition. Fabrication, characteristics and performance of the cellulose EAPap and its hybrid EAPap materials are illustrated. Also, its possibility for remotely microwave-driven paper actuator is demonstrated. PMID:22294882

  8. Design and application of shape memory actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mertmann, M.; Vergani, G.

    2008-05-01

    The use of shape memory alloys in actuators allows the development of robust, simple and lightweight elements for application in a multitude of different industries. Over the years, the intermetallic compound Nickel-Titanium (NiTi or Nitinol) together with its ternary and quaternary derivates has gained general acceptance as a standard alloy. Even though as many as 99% of all shape memory actuator applications make use of Nitinol there are certain properties of this alloy system which require further research in order to find improvements and new markets: • Lack of higher transformation temperatures in the available alloys in order to open the field of automotive applications (Mf temperature > 80 °C) • Non-linearity in the electrical resistivity in order to improve the controllability of the actuator, • Wide hysteresis in the temperature-vs.-strain behaviour, which has a signi-ficant effect on both, the dynamics of the actuator and its controllability. Hence, there is a constant strive in the field towards an improvement of the related properties. However, these improvements are not always just alloy composition related. There is also a tremendous potential in the thermomechanical treatment of the material and in the design of the actuator. Significant improvement steps are already possible if the usage of the existent materials is optimized for the projected application and if the actuator system is designed in the most efficient way. This paper provides an overview about existent designs, applications and alloys for use in actuators, as well as examples of new shape memory actuator application with improved performance. It also gives an overview about general design rules and reflects about the strengths of the material and the related opportunities for its application.

  9. Electrochemically induced actuation of liquid metal marbles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Shi-Yang; Sivan, Vijay; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar; O'Mullane, Anthony P.; Tang, Xinke; Gol, Berrak; Eshtiaghi, Nicky; Lieder, Felix; Petersen, Phred; Mitchell, Arnan; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh

    2013-06-01

    Controlled actuation of soft objects with functional surfaces in aqueous environments presents opportunities for liquid phase electronics, novel assembled super-structures and unusual mechanical properties. We show the extraordinary electrochemically induced actuation of liquid metal droplets coated with nanoparticles, so-called ``liquid metal marbles''. We demonstrate that nanoparticle coatings of these marbles offer an extra dimension for affecting the bipolar electrochemically induced actuation. The nanoparticles can readily migrate along the surface of liquid metals, upon the application of electric fields, altering the capacitive behaviour and surface tension in a highly asymmetric fashion. Surprising actuation behaviours are observed illustrating that nanoparticle coatings can have a strong effect on the movement of these marbles. This significant novel phenomenon, combined with unique properties of liquid metal marbles, represents an exciting platform for enabling diverse applications that cannot be achieved using rigid metal beads.Controlled actuation of soft objects with functional surfaces in aqueous environments presents opportunities for liquid phase electronics, novel assembled super-structures and unusual mechanical properties. We show the extraordinary electrochemically induced actuation of liquid metal droplets coated with nanoparticles, so-called ``liquid metal marbles''. We demonstrate that nanoparticle coatings of these marbles offer an extra dimension for affecting the bipolar electrochemically induced actuation. The nanoparticles can readily migrate along the surface of liquid metals, upon the application of electric fields, altering the capacitive behaviour and surface tension in a highly asymmetric fashion. Surprising actuation behaviours are observed illustrating that nanoparticle coatings can have a strong effect on the movement of these marbles. This significant novel phenomenon, combined with unique properties of liquid metal marbles

  10. Sensors and actuators inherent in biological species

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taya, Minoru; Stahlberg, Rainer; Li, Fanghong; Zhao, Ying Joyce

    2007-04-01

    This paper addresses examples of sensing and active mechanisms inherent in some biological species where both plants and animals cases are discussed: mechanosensors and actuators in Venus Fly Trap and cucumber tendrils, chemosensors in insects, two cases of interactions between different kingdoms, (i) cotton plant smart defense system and (ii) bird-of-paradise flower and hamming bird interaction. All these cases lead us to recognize how energy-efficient and flexible the biological sensors and actuators are. This review reveals the importance of integration of sensing and actuation functions into an autonomous system if we make biomimetic design of a set of new autonomous systems which can sense and actuate under a number of different stimuli and threats.

  11. Micromachined actuators/sensors for intratubular positioning/steering

    DOEpatents

    Lee, A.P.; Krulevitch, P.A.; Northrup, M.A.; Trevino, J.C.

    1998-06-30

    Micromachined thin film cantilever actuators having means for individually controlling the deflection of the cantilevers, valve members, and rudders for steering same through blood vessels, or positioning same within a blood vessel, for example. Such cantilever actuators include tactile sensor arrays mounted on a catheter or guide wire tip for navigation and tissues identification, shape-memory alloy film based catheter/guide wire steering mechanisms, and rudder-based steering devices that allow the selective actuation of rudders that use the flowing blood itself to help direct the catheter direction through the blood vessel. While particularly adapted for medical applications, these cantilever actuators can be used for steering through piping and tubing systems. 14 figs.

  12. Automated manufacturing process for DEAP stack-actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tepel, Dominik; Hoffstadt, Thorben; Maas, Jürgen

    2014-03-01

    Dielectric elastomers (DE) are thin polymer films belonging to the class of electroactive polymers (EAP), which are coated with compliant and conductive electrodes on each side. Due to the influence of an electrical field, dielectric elastomers perform a large amount of deformation. In this contribution a manufacturing process of automated fabricated stack-actuators based on dielectric electroactive polymers (DEAP) are presented. First of all the specific design of the considered stack-actuator is explained and afterwards the development, construction and realization of an automated manufacturing process is presented in detail. By applying this automated process, stack-actuators with reproducible and homogeneous properties can be manufactured. Finally, first DEAP actuator modules fabricated by the mentioned process are validated experimentally.

  13. Slipping and tangential discontinuity instabilities in quasi-one-dimensional planar and cylindrical flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuzelev, M. V.

    2017-09-01

    An analytical linear theory of instability of an electron beam with a nonuniform directional velocity (slipping instability) against perturbations with wavelengths exceeding the transverse beam size is offered. An analogy with hydrodynamic instabilities of tangential discontinuity of an incompressible liquid flow is drawn. The instability growth rates are calculated for particular cases and in a general form in planar and cylindrical geometries. The stabilizing effect of the external magnetic field is analyzed.

  14. Surface texture change on-demand and microfluidic devices based on thickness mode actuation of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ankit, Ankit; Nguyen, Anh Chien; Mathews, Nripan

    2017-04-01

    Tactile feedback devices and microfluidic devices have huge significance in strengthening the area of robotics, human machine interaction and low cost healthcare. Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) are an attractive alternative for both the areas; offering the advantage of low cost and simplistic fabrication in addition to the high actuation strains. The inplane deformations produced by the DEAs can be used to produce out-of-plane deformations by what is known as the thickness mode actuation of DEAs. The thickness mode actuation is achieved by adhering a soft passive layer to the DEA. This enables a wide area of applications in tactile applications without the need of complex systems and multiple actuators. But the thickness mode actuation has not been explored enough to understand how the deformations can be improved without altering the material properties; which is often accompanied with increased cost and a trade off with other closely associated material properties. We have shown the effect of dimensions of active region and non-active region in manipulating the out-of-plane deformation. Making use of this, we have been able to demonstrate large area devices and complex patterns on the passive top layer for the surface texture change on-demand applications. We have also been able to demonstrate on-demand microfluidic channels and micro-chambers without the need of actually fabricating the channels; which is a cost incurring and cumbersome process.

  15. A small-gap electrostatic micro-actuator for large deflections

    PubMed Central

    Conrad, Holger; Schenk, Harald; Kaiser, Bert; Langa, Sergiu; Gaudet, Matthieu; Schimmanz, Klaus; Stolz, Michael; Lenz, Miriam

    2015-01-01

    Common quasi-static electrostatic micro actuators have significant limitations in deflection due to electrode separation and unstable drive regions. State-of-the-art electrostatic actuators achieve maximum deflections of approximately one third of the electrode separation. Large electrode separation and high driving voltages are normally required to achieve large actuator movements. Here we report on an electrostatic actuator class, fabricated in a CMOS-compatible process, which allows high deflections with small electrode separation. The concept presented makes the huge electrostatic forces within nanometre small electrode separation accessible for large deflections. Electrostatic actuations that are larger than the electrode separation were measured. An analytical theory is compared with measurement and simulation results and enables closer understanding of these actuators. The scaling behaviour discussed indicates significant future improvement on actuator deflection. The presented driving concept enables the investigation and development of novel micro systems with a high potential for improved device and system performance. PMID:26655557

  16. Actuator Feasibility Study for Active Control of Ducted Axial Fan Noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simonich, John C.

    1994-01-01

    A feasibility study was performed to investigate actuator technology which is relevant for a particular application of active noise control for gas turbine stator vanes. This study investigated many different classes of actuators and ranked them on the order of applicability. The most difficult requirements the actuators had to meet were high frequency response, large amplitude deflections, and a thin profile. Based on this assessment, piezoelectric type actuators were selected as the most appropriate actuator class. Specifically, Rainbows (a new class of high performance piezoelectric actuators), and unimorphs (a ceramic/metal composite) appeared best suited to the requirements. A benchtop experimental study was conducted. The performance of a variety of different actuators was examined, including high polymer films, flextensional actuators, miniature speakers, unimorphs, and Rainbows. The displacement/frequency response and phase characteristics of the actuators were measured. Physical limitations of actuator operation were also examined. This report includes the first known, high displacement, dynamic data obtained for Rainbow actuators. A new "hard" ceramic Rainbow actuator which does not appear to be limited in operation by self heating as "soft" ceramic Rainbows was designed, constructed and tested. The study concludes that a suitable actuator for active noise control in gas turbine engines can be achieved with state of the art materials and processing.

  17. Flexible printed circuit board actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Junseok; Cha, Youngsu

    2017-12-01

    Out-of-plane actuators are made possible by the breaking of planar symmetry. In this paper, we present a thin-film out-of-plane electrostatic actuator for a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) that can be fabricated with a single step of the conventional manufacturing process. No other components are required for actuation except a single sheet of the FPCB, and it works based on the planar asymmetry resulting from asymmetrically patterned top and bottom electrodes on each side of the polyimide film. With the structural asymmetry, the application of a high voltage in the order of kilovolts results in the asymmetry of the electric fields and the body force density, which generates the bending moment that leads to macroscopic deformations. We applied the finite element method to examine the asymmetry induced by the difference in the electrodes. In the experiment, the displacement responses to step input and square wave input of various frequencies were analyzed. It was found that our actuator constitutes an underdamped system, exhibiting resonance characteristics. The maximum oscillatory amplitude was determined at resonance, and the relationship between the displacement and the applied voltage was investigated.

  18. SMA actuators for morphing wings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brailovski, V.; Terriault, P.; Georges, T.; Coutu, D.

    An experimental morphing laminar wing was developed to prove the feasibility of aircraft fuel consumption reduction through enhancement of the laminar flow regime over the wing extrados. The morphing wing prototype designed for subsonic cruise flight conditions (Mach 0.2 … 0.3; angle of attack - 1 … +2∘), combines three principal subsystems: (1) flexible extrados, (2) rigid intrados and (3) an actuator group located inside the wing box. The morphing capability of the wing relies on controlled deformation of the wing extrados under the action of shape memory alloys (SMA) actuators. A coupled fluid-structure model of the morphing wing was used to evaluate its mechanical and aerodynamic performances in different flight conditions. A 0.5 m chord and 1 m span prototype of the morphing wing was tested in a subsonic wind tunnel. In this work, SMA actuators for morphing wings were modeled using a coupled thermo-mechanical finite element model and they were windtunnel validated. If the thermo-mechanical model of SMA actuators presented in this work is coupled with the previously developed structureaerodynamic model of the morphing wing, it could serve for the optimization of the entire morphing wing system.

  19. Nonlinear Tracking Control of a Conductive Supercoiled Polymer Actuator.

    PubMed

    Luong, Tuan Anh; Cho, Kyeong Ho; Song, Min Geun; Koo, Ja Choon; Choi, Hyouk Ryeol; Moon, Hyungpil

    2018-04-01

    Artificial muscle actuators made from commercial nylon fishing lines have been recently introduced and shown as a new type of actuator with high performance. However, the actuators also exhibit significant nonlinearities, which make them difficult to control, especially in precise trajectory-tracking applications. In this article, we present a nonlinear mathematical model of a conductive supercoiled polymer (SCP) actuator driven by Joule heating for model-based feedback controls. Our efforts include modeling of the hysteresis behavior of the actuator. Based on nonlinear modeling, we design a sliding mode controller for SCP actuator-driven manipulators. The system with proposed control law is proven to be asymptotically stable using the Lyapunov theory. The control performance of the proposed method is evaluated experimentally and compared with that of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller through one-degree-of-freedom SCP actuator-driven manipulators. Experimental results show that the proposed controller's performance is superior to that of a PID controller, such as the tracking errors are nearly 10 times smaller compared with those of a PID controller, and it is more robust to external disturbances such as sensor noise and actuator modeling error.

  20. Miniature Inchworm Actuators Fabricated by Use of LIGA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yang, Eui-Hyeok

    2003-01-01

    Miniature inchworm actuators that would have relatively simple designs have been proposed for applications in which there are requirements for displacements of the order of microns or tens of microns and for the ability to hold their positions when electric power is not applied. The proposed actuators would be members of the class of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), but would be designed and fabricated following an approach that is somewhat unusual for MEMS. Like other MEMS actuators, the proposed inchworm actuators could utilize thermoplastic, bimetallic, shape-memory-alloy, or piezoelectric actuation principles. The figure depicts a piezoelectric inchworm actuator according to the proposal. As in other inchworm actuators, linear motion of an extensible member would be achieved by lengthening and shortening the extensible member in synchronism with alternately clamping and releasing one and then the other end of the member. In this case, the moving member would be the middle one; the member would be piezoelectric and would be shortened by applying a voltage to it. The two outer members would also be piezoelectric; the release of the clamps on the upper or lower end would be achieved by applying a voltage to the electrodes on the upper or lower ends, respectively, of these members. Usually, MEMS actuators cannot be fabricated directly on the side walls of silicon wafers, yet the geometry of this actuator necessitates such fabrication. The solution, according to the proposal, would be to use the microfabrication technique known by the German acronym LIGA - "lithographie, galvanoformung, abformung," which means lithography, electroforming, molding. LIGA involves x-ray lithography of a polymer film followed by selective removal of material to form a three-dimensional pattern from which a mold is made. Among the advantages of LIGA for this purpose are that it is applicable to a broad range of materials, can be used to implement a variety of designs, including