Electroactive polymer devices for controlling fluid flow
First Claim
1. A device for controlling fluid flow, the device comprising:
- one or more transducers, each transducer comprising at least two electrodes and an electroactive polymer in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes wherein a portion of the electroactive polymer is arranged to deflect from a first position to a second position in response to a change in electric field;
at least one surface in contact with a fluid and operatively coupled to the one or more transducers wherein the deflection of the portion of the electroactive polymer causes a change in a characteristic of the fluid that is transmitted to the fluid via the one surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention describes devices for controlling fluid flow, such as valves. The devices may include one or more electroactive polymer transducers with an electroactive polymer that deflects in response to an application of an electric field. The electroactive polymer may be in contact with a fluid where the deflection of the electroactive polymer may be used to change a characteristic of the fluid. Some of the characteristic of the fluid that may be changed include but are not limited to 1) a flow rate, 2) a flow direction, 3) a flow vorticity, 4) a flow momentum, 5) a flow mixing rate, 6) a flow turbulence rate, 7) a flow energy, 8) a flow thermodynamic property. The electroactive polymer may be a portion of a surface of a structure that is immersed in an external fluid flow, such as the surface of an airplane wing or the electroactive polymer may be a portion of a surface of a structure used in an internal flow, such as a bounding surface of a fluid conduit.
193 Citations
103 Claims
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1. A device for controlling fluid flow, the device comprising:
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one or more transducers, each transducer comprising at least two electrodes and an electroactive polymer in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes wherein a portion of the electroactive polymer is arranged to deflect from a first position to a second position in response to a change in electric field;
at least one surface in contact with a fluid and operatively coupled to the one or more transducers wherein the deflection of the portion of the electroactive polymer causes a change in a characteristic of the fluid that is transmitted to the fluid via the one surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A valve comprising:
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one or more transducers, each transducer comprising at least two electrodes and an electroactive polymer in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes wherein a portion of the electroactive polymer is arranged to deflect from a first position to a second position in response to a change in electric field;
an inlet and an exit for allowing a fluid to enter the valve and exit the valve;
a flow path between the inlet and the exit that allows the fluid to pass through the valve;
a structure operatively coupled to the one or more transducers wherein the deflection of the portion of the electroactive polymer causes an operating position of the structure to change and wherein a change in the operating position of the structure changes the flow path. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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Specification