A shape-adaptive magnetically controlled self-sensing flexible pipeline and its preparation method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a shape - adaptive magneto - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline and a preparation method thereof, which includes a hollow cylindrical flow - field pipeline, a multi - turn coil, a plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers and a piezoelectric film sensor. The plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers are arranged centrosymmetrically on the cross - section of the flow - field pipeline. The multi - turn coil is arranged on the outer surface of the corresponding position of the flow - field pipeline. The piezoelectric film sensor attached to the anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomer senses the deformation amount of the magneto - sensitive elastomer to realize the self - sensing of the flexible pipeline. The structure of the present invention is simple, the materials are inexpensive, and the functions are diverse. The sizes of the anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomer and the piezoelectric film sensor are easy to adjust. Therefore, the flow - field pipeline has excellent shape self - adaptability. By adjusting the magnetic field generated inside the pipeline after the multi - turn coil is energized, the out - of - plane deformation amount of the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers is changed, thereby changing the cross - sectional area of the pipeline. The deformation degree of the anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomer is obtained through the piezoelectric film sensor to realize self - sensing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible pipeline, and particularly to a shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Compared with rigid pipelines, flexible pipelines have good flexibility and cause little damage to the transported materials, and are widely used in industries such as food processing, natural gas transportation, sewage treatment, etc. In addition, micro - pipelines with a certain elasticity ranging from dozens to hundreds of micrometers are important components of microfluidic chips and are used to process or manipulate tiny fluids, showing great development potential in biomedical research. However, whether it is a flexible pipeline or a micro - pipeline, most of them have a fixed cross - sectional area or only two working conditions of opening and closing, making it difficult to continuously control the flow rate of materials. Moreover, when transporting toxic and harmful materials, manually switching the pipeline valve has low safety. Traditional magnetically - controlled pipeline valves can be remotely controlled by connecting the power supply line of the electromagnetic coil, but the structure is relatively complex. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Aiming at the above - mentioned deficiencies of existing flexible pipelines, the present invention proposes a shape - adaptive flexible pipeline.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline includes: a hollow cylindrical flow - field pipeline, a multi - turn coil, a plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers, and a piezoelectric film sensor, wherein: the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers are arranged centrosymmetrically on the cross - section of the flow - field pipeline, the multi - turn coil is arranged on the outer surface of the corresponding position of the flow - field pipeline, and the piezoelectric film sensor attached to the anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomer senses the deformation amount of the magneto - sensitive elastomer to achieve self - sensing of the flexible pipeline.

[0005] The shape of the flow - field pipeline is adaptive and is made of a blend of silicone rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, cis - butadiene rubber, or a combination thereof.

[0006] The multi - turn coil includes a copper - purple coil, an aluminum coil, or winding wire.

[0007] The plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers include: magnetic particles, including micro - nano particles formed by alloys containing iron, cobalt, nickel, and / or combinations thereof; a polymer matrix, including a blend of silicone rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, cis - butadiene rubber, or a combination thereof.

[0008] The dimensions of the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers in the x and y directions are at least 5 times the dimension in the z direction.

[0009] The magnetic particles inside the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers are distributed in a chain - like or cluster - like manner along the xy plane.

[0010] The multiple anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers undergo large out-of-plane deformations under the action of the magnetic field generated by the energized coil, thereby changing the cross-sectional area of the flow field pipeline.

[0011] The flexural rigidity of the multiple anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers varies with the current of the multi-turn coil.

[0012] The piezoelectric thin film sensor includes: a piezoelectric thin film, including polyvinylidene fluoride thin film and other organic piezoelectric thin film materials represented by it; two electrode layers located on the upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film, including carbon paste or metal paste; wires respectively connected to the two electrode layers, including silver wires and other non-ferromagnetic wires represented by it.

[0013] The metal paste includes a blend paste composed of at least one or more of gold, silver, and copper.

[0014] A preparation method of a shape-adaptive magnetically controlled self-sensing flexible pipeline includes:

[0015] Step 1: High-temperature vulcanize the magneto-sensitive elastomer precursor in a magnetic field to form an anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer;

[0016] Step 2: Coat conductive paste and wires on the upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film, and at the same time bond the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer to the surface of the piezoelectric thin film to form a bilayer structure;

[0017] Step 3: Then use polydimethylsiloxane to bond the bilayer structure to the wall of the hollow flow field pipeline, and then coat the wall of another section of the hollow flow field pipeline with polydimethylsiloxane and bond it to the other surface of the composite structure to achieve the docking of the flow field pipeline;

[0018] Step 4: Finally, arrange multi-turn coils on the outer surface of the bonding position of the two sections of the flow field pipeline.

[0019] The advantages of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0020] The structure of the present invention is simple, the materials are inexpensive, and the functions are diverse. The sizes of the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer and the piezoelectric thin film sensor are easy to control, so the flow field pipeline has excellent shape adaptability; by adjusting the magnetic field generated inside the pipeline after energizing the multi-turn coil, the out-of-plane deformation amount of the multiple anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers is changed, thereby changing the cross-sectional area of the pipeline; the deformation degree of the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer is obtained through the piezoelectric thin film sensor to achieve self-sensing and achieve precise control of the magnetically controlled variable cross-section flexible pipeline. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a shape-adaptive magnetically controlled self-sensing flexible pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 Stereo assembly drawing of a shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 Front view with a partial cross - section of a shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 Stereo assembly drawing of another shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 Schematic structural diagram of an anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer and a piezoelectric thin - film sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the deformation of an anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer and a piezoelectric thin - film sensor when a small current passes through the coil according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the deformation of an anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer and a piezoelectric thin - film sensor when a large current passes through the coil according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 Schematic structural diagram of another anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 Schematic structural diagram of another anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer and a piezoelectric thin - film sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] In the figure: 1 is a hollow cylindrical flow - field pipeline, 2 is a multi - turn coil, 3 is an anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer, 4 is a piezoelectric thin - film sensor, 5 is an external lead wire of the piezoelectric thin - film sensor, 6 is a polymer matrix of the anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer, 7 is a magnetic particle chain of the anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer, 8 is a hollow hexagonal - prism - shaped flow - field pipeline. Specific embodiments

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the following further elaborates on the present invention in detail with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0032] As Figures 1-3As shown in the figure, this example includes: a hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1, a multi-turn coil 2, a plurality of anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3, a piezoelectric thin film sensor 4, and an external wire 5 of the piezoelectric film sensor. Among them, a plurality of anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3 are arranged in a centrosymmetric manner on the cross-section of the hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1. The multi-turn coil 2 is located on the outer surface of the corresponding position of the hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1. The piezoelectric thin film sensor 4 is attached to the surface of one of the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3, and the signal is output through the external wire 5 of the piezoelectric film sensor.

[0033] After the multi-turn coil 2 is energized, according to the magnetic effect of the current, a magnetic field with magnetic force lines along the axial direction of the pipe is excited inside the hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1. A plurality of anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3 undergo out-of-plane deformation, realizing the change of the hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1 from closed to open. The working mode of the hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1 can be remotely controlled by controlling the current. In addition, by changing the magnitude of the current, magnetic fields of different intensities are obtained, and the deformation amounts of the plurality of anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3 increase or decrease accordingly, realizing continuous changes in the pipe cross-section.

[0034] The piezoelectric thin film sensor 4 deforms synchronously with the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer 3, and an electrical signal proportional to the deformation amount is generated between the upper and lower electrode surfaces in real time, and then the electrical signal is output to devices such as a digital multimeter through the external wire 5 of the piezoelectric film sensor. This process endows the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer 3 and the shape-adaptive flexible pipe with the function of self-sensing. If the piezoelectric thin film sensor 4 is combined with a temperature and humidity sensing element, then the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer 3 and the shape-adaptive flexible pipe can also sense the changes in temperature and humidity of the material during transportation. If the flow rate of the material is too large, there is a strong force on the plurality of anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3 and the piezoelectric thin film sensor 4, causing them to undergo obvious bending deformation. At this time, the transportation speed of the material can also be monitored through the external wire 5 of the piezoelectric film sensor. After the multi-turn coil 2 is energized, the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer 3 is in a magnetic field environment. The magnetic particles in the magnetic particle chain 7 of the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer interact with each other, and the magnetic particle chain 7 of the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer and the polymer matrix 6 of the anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer interact with each other, increasing the bending stiffness of the plurality of anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3. The bending stiffness of the plurality of anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3 increases proportionally with the current in the multi-turn coil 2, realizing the regulation of the material flow rate.

[0035] The installation position and number of the piezoelectric thin film sensors 4 are not limited.

[0036] The described hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1 is made of a blend of silicone rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, cis-butadiene rubber, or a combination thereof. The multi-turn coil 2 includes a copper coil, an aluminum coil, or winding wire. The multiple anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3 include: magnetic particles, including micro-nano particles of alloys formed by iron, cobalt, nickel, and / or a combination thereof; a polymer matrix, including a blend of silicone rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, cis-butadiene rubber, or a combination thereof. The piezoelectric film sensor 4 includes: a piezoelectric film, including a polyvinylidene fluoride film and other organic piezoelectric film materials represented by it; two electrode layers located on the upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric film, including carbon paste or metal paste; wires respectively connected to the two electrode layers, including silver wires and other non-ferromagnetic wires represented by it. The metal paste includes a blend paste composed of at least one or more of gold, silver, and copper.

[0037] As Figure 2 , 4 shown, the shape of the described hollow cylindrical flow field pipe 1 is self-adaptive and can be a hollow cylinder, a hollow arbitrary prism, or a cross-section irregular body. Based on the multiple anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3 and piezoelectric film sensors 4, they can be simply and quickly prepared into shapes such as a fan-shaped body, a triangular body, etc., and they can be arbitrarily combined to meet different customized pipes.

[0038] As Figures 5-8 shown, the internal magnetic particle chains 7 of the multiple anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers are along the xy plane. The magnetically particle chains cause the elastomer to have magnetic anisotropy, making it deform in the direction of the external magnetic field magnetic force lines. Of course, if regions containing magnetic particles and regions without magnetic particles are distributed alternately on the elastomer, similar out-of-plane deformation can also be achieved using its macroscopic structural anisotropy. In addition, when the particles are hard magnetic, the magnetic domain direction of the particles is designed to be along the xy plane. Even if the particle distribution is random, the elastomer can still be bent under the action of the magnetic moment.

[0039] As Figure 9 shown, one piezoelectric film sensor 4 can not only form a double-coated structure with one anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomer 3, but also form a sandwich structure with two or even more anisotropic magneto-sensitive elastomers 3, reducing the errors that may be caused by structural asymmetry and improving the control accuracy.

[0040] Compared with existing flexible pipes, the present invention is applicable to working conditions with different size and shape requirements, and is simple to prepare, has low-cost materials, good biocompatibility, and convenient and high-precision control. At the same time, it has a working mode of remotely controlling continuous variable cross-sections, realizing continuous adjustment of the internal material transportation speed.

[0041] The above specific embodiments can be locally adjusted in different ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles and purposes of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is subject to the claims and is not limited by the above specific embodiments. All implementation solutions within its scope are subject to the present invention.

Claims

1. A shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline, Characterized in that, It includes: A hollow cylindrical flow - field pipeline, a multi - turn coil, a plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers and a piezoelectric thin - film sensor, where: A plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers are arranged centrosymmetrically on the cross - section of the flow - field pipeline, and a multi - turn coil is arranged on the outer surface of the flow - field pipeline at the corresponding position. The magnetic field generated by the multi - turn coil inside the pipeline changes the out - of - plane deformation amount of the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers by adjusting the current of the multi - turn coil, realizing the change of the cross - sectional area of the pipeline. The piezoelectric thin - film sensor monitors the deformation size of the anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers in real time through its own deformation, realizing the self - sensing function.

2. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The hollow cylindrical flow - field pipeline is shape - adaptive and is made of a blend of silicone rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, cis - 1,4 - polybutadiene rubber or a combination thereof.

3. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The multi - turn coil includes a copper - purple coil, an aluminum coil or winding wire.

4. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers include: Magnetic particles, including micro - nano particles of alloys formed by iron, cobalt, nickel and / or combinations thereof; A polymer matrix, including a blend of silicone rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, cis - 1,4 - polybutadiene rubber or a combination thereof.

5. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers undergo large out - of - plane deformation under the action of the magnetic field generated by the energized coil, thereby changing the cross - sectional area of the flow - field pipeline.

6. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The dimensions of the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers in the x and y directions are at least 5 times the dimension in the z direction.

7. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The magnetic particles inside the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers are distributed in a chain - like or cluster - like pattern along the xy plane.

8. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The bending stiffness of the plurality of anisotropic magneto - sensitive elastomers changes with the current of the multi - turn coil.

9. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The piezoelectric thin - film sensor includes: A piezoelectric thin - film, including polyvinylidene fluoride thin - film and other organic piezoelectric thin - film materials represented by it; Two electrode layers located on the upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric thin - film, including carbon paste or metal paste; Wires respectively connected to the two electrode layers, including silver wires and other non - ferromagnetic wires represented by it.

10. The shape - adaptive magnetically - controlled self - sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 9, Characterized in that, The metal paste in the piezoelectric thin - film sensor includes a blend paste composed of at least one or more of gold, silver, and copper.

11. A method for preparing a shape-adaptive magnetically controlled self-sensing flexible pipeline according to claim 1, characterized in that, it includes: Step 1: High-temperature vulcanize the magnetosensitive elastomer precursor in a magnetic field to form an anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer; Step 2: Coat the upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric thin film with conductive paste and wires, and at the same time bond the anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomer to the surface of the piezoelectric thin film to form a bilayer structure; Step 3: Then use polydimethylsiloxane to bond the bilayer structure to the wall of the hollow flow field pipeline, and then coat the wall of another section of the hollow flow field pipeline with polydimethylsiloxane and bond it to the other surface of the composite structure to achieve the docking of the flow field pipeline; Step 4: Finally, arrange multiple turns of coils on the outer surface of the bonding position of these two sections of the flow field pipeline.

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