Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Electroactive polymer devices for controlling fluid flow
- Patent Title (中): 用于控制流体流动的电动聚合物装置
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Application No.: US12424486Application Date: 2009-04-15
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Publication No.: US07703742B2Publication Date: 2010-04-27
- Inventor: Jonathan R. Heim , Ronald E. Pelrine , Roy David Kornbluh , Joseph S. Eckerle , Marcus A. Rosenthal , Richard P. Heydt
- Applicant: Jonathan R. Heim , Ronald E. Pelrine , Roy David Kornbluh , Joseph S. Eckerle , Marcus A. Rosenthal , Richard P. Heydt
- Applicant Address: US CA Menlo Park
- Assignee: SRI International
- Current Assignee: SRI International
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Menlo Park
- Agency: Levine Bagade Han LLP
- Main IPC: F16K31/02
- IPC: F16K31/02

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.
Public/Granted literature
- US20090200501A1 ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING FLUID FLOW Public/Granted day:2009-08-13
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