Electroactive Polymer Generator for Converting Mechanical Energy into Electrical Energy

• US 20120313481A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hagemann, Benjamin, Steinlechner, Siegbert, Schwarzmann, Dieter, Fass, Ulrich, Herrmann, Tobias, Serban, Ioan
• Application Number:
  US13/516,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20120313481A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/311
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Abstract

An electroactive polymer generator is configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy during expansion and compression of the polymer generator. The polymer generator comprises a device for detecting expansion and compression states. The device comprises at least one acceleration sensor.

Claims

1. An electroactive polymer generator comprising:

a device configured to detect stretching and/or contraction states, the device including at least one acceleration sensor,

wherein the electroactive polymer generator is configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy in response to stretching and contraction of the polymer generator.

2. The electroactive polymer generator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a dielectric elastomer and electrodes of a flexible electrically conductive material, configured to follow the stretching and contraction of the elastomer.

3. The electroactive polymer generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the acceleration sensor signals a maximum value on reversal of the stretching of the electroactive polymer generator, and

in this largely maximum stretching state the generated electrical voltage at the electrodes of the electroactive polymer reaches a maximum value.

4. The electroactive polymer generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device for detecting stretching and/or contraction states comprises at least one three-dimensional acceleration sensor.

5. An electroactive polymer generator installation, comprising:

a plurality of acceleration sensors configured to detect and monitor complex multi-dimensional movement patterns and stretching states of mechanically coupled electroactive polymer generators.

6. A wave power installation, comprising:

a plurality of electroactive polymer generators, each electroactive polymer generator of the plurality of electroactive polymer generators including a device configured to detect stretching and/or contraction states, each of the devices having at least one acceleration sensor,

wherein the plurality of electroactive polymer generators is configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy in response to stretching and contraction of at least one electroactive polymer generator of the plurality of electroactive polymer generators.

7. The wave power installation as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the wave power installation is arranged as a wave follower in a swell and the plurality of electroactive polymer generators forms a capacitor with variable capacitance,

a generator circuit comprises a supply battery or a buffer storage means and a control device, and

the control device, depending on the stretching and contraction states of the plurality of polymer generators detected by at least one of the acceleration sensors, charges or discharges the capacitor, and transmits electrical charges to the buffer storage means and/or charges a rechargeable battery and/or feeds a load.

8. The wave power installation as claimed in claim 6, wherein in addition to linear accelerated changes of movement, the acceleration sensors also detect multi-dimensional relative movements such as accelerated rotational and wobbling changes of movement of the wave power installation.

9. The wave power installation as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

each electroactive polymer generator of the plurality of electroactive polymer generators includes a dielectric elastomer and electrodes of a flexible electrically conductive material configured to follow the stretching and contraction of the elastomer,

on reversal of the stretching direction, the control device transmits charges from the electroactive polymer generator to the buffer storage means, and

the buffer storage means is a charging capacitor.