A flexible pressure sensor for deep-sea environment and its preparation method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment, which comprises a dielectric sensitive layer and conductive cloths bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric sensitive layer. The dielectric sensitive layer includes a first dielectric body and a second dielectric body which are oppositely arranged, and at least one first elastic body is integrally arranged on the surface of the first dielectric body close to the second dielectric body, and at least one second elastic body is integrally arranged on the surface of the second dielectric body close to the first dielectric body. The first elastic body abuts against the second elastic body. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: The interlocking - structure flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment provided by the present invention has the characteristics of being able to withstand deep - sea pressure, being able to fit well on a manipulator, having high sensitivity, a wide detection range, good stability, low preparation cost, and a simple manufacturing method, etc.; it does not require the use of precision processing methods and expensive materials, is applicable to deep - sea exploration, and has high market value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of flexible electronic technologies, and more specifically, to a flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environments and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Looking at the home on which humans depend for survival from space, it can be found that the Earth is a blue water planet. The area of the oceans on Earth reaches as high as 70.8%. However, humans know very little about the oceans that are under the same sky as themselves. According to data, so far in human ocean exploration, only 5% of it has been understood. But just this 5% has provided people with countless rich resources. It can be said that the space and resources that the ocean can bring to humans are really too many. And those resources that are regarded as important strategic energy sources by various countries on land, such as mineral resources, oil resources, rare elements, etc., are also numerous in the ocean. Moreover, due to the limitations of the times and technology, humans have not over - exploited the ocean, and the ocean is truly an undeveloped treasure. Therefore, deep - sea exploration is of great significance to the development of a country.

[0003] If a craftsman wants to do his work well, he must first sharpen his tools. To explore the ocean, deep - diving equipment is a very important condition. On November 10, 2020, China's Fendouzhe manned submersible successfully landed on the bottom of the Mariana Trench at a depth of 10,909 meters, which truly shows that China's deep - depth manned deep - diving technology has reached the world - leading level. The most concerned point lies in the manipulator of the submersible. In addition to grasping heavy objects in the deep sea, when the submersible also performs tasks such as monitoring and capturing suspicious objects and deep - sea biological investigations, at this time, when the manipulator needs to use an appropriate force to grasp precious seabed biological resources and mineral resources, a flexible pressure sensor that can fit the manipulator and work normally in the deep sea is required. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environments that can fit the manipulator and work normally in the deep sea.

[0005] To achieve the above - mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: A flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environments, comprising a dielectric sensitive layer and conductive cloths bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric sensitive layer. The dielectric sensitive layer includes a first dielectric body and a second dielectric body arranged opposite to each other, and at least one first elastic body is integrally provided on the surface of the first dielectric body close to the second dielectric body, and at least one second elastic body is integrally provided on the surface of the second dielectric body close to the first dielectric body, and the first elastic body abuts against the second elastic body.

[0006] The working principle of the flexible stress sensor of the present invention is as follows: When the flexible pressure sensor enters the deep-sea environment, seawater will enter the structure of the sensor. Since the seawater and the sensor become an integral whole, the internal and external pressures of the sensor will remain balanced, thus releasing the influence of the deep-sea high pressure. When pressure acts on the surface of the flexible pressure sensor, the first elastic body and the second elastic body of the sensor will be compressed by the pressure, and the contact area of the internal structure will increase, forming a new conductive circuit, thereby causing the overall resistance of the sensor to decrease. This is also the reason why the sensor can withstand the deep-sea high pressure and work normally in the deep sea.

[0007] Preferably, the cross-sectional shapes of the first elastic body and the second elastic body are the same and are selected from one of a circle, a semicircle, and a polygon.

[0008] Preferably, the first elastic body and the second elastic body are arranged in an array.

[0009] The second object of the present invention is to provide a preparation method for a flexible pressure sensor for a deep-sea environment. The preparation method specifically includes the following steps:

[0010] S1. Design a model, and use a resin raw material to print a dielectric-sensitive blank in a 3D printer;

[0011] S2. Add a nano-conductive material to a dispersion solvent, and obtain a nano-conductive material dispersion liquid through ultrasonic dispersion;

[0012] S3. Mix the dielectric-sensitive blank obtained in step S1 with the nano-conductive material dispersion liquid obtained in step S2, and perform ultrasonic adhesion to obtain a dielectric-sensitive layer;

[0013] S4. Heat-treat the dielectric-sensitive layer obtained in step S3, and stick conductive cloth on the upper and lower surfaces of the heat-treated dielectric-sensitive layer respectively to obtain a flexible pressure sensor for a deep-sea environment.

[0014] The present invention prepares a flexible pressure sensor through 3D printing. Due to the reason of the structure design, the sensor can withstand the deep-sea high pressure and work normally in the deep sea. The flexible pressure sensor described in the present invention has the characteristics of withstanding the deep-sea high pressure, high sensitivity, wide detection range, good stability, low preparation cost, simple manufacturing method, etc., and is suitable for deep-sea exploration.

[0015] Preferably, in step S1, the resin raw material is selected from at least one of epoxy acrylate, polyurethane acrylate resin, polyester acrylate resin, and amino acrylate resin.

[0016] Preferably, in step S1, the 3D printer is selected from one of FDM, SLS, SLM, LOM, SLA, DLP, EBM, PCM, LENS, PloyJet, MSL, MLS, LCVD, EFAB, FIBDW, and FF.

[0017] Preferably, in step S2, the nano-conductive material is selected from at least one of carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal nanowires and Mxene.

[0018] Preferably, in step S2, the conditions for ultrasonic dispersion treatment are as follows: the ultrasonic power is 480 W, the ultrasonic dispersion treatment time is on for 2 seconds and off for 4 seconds, and the total duration is 60 minutes.

[0019] Preferably, in step S3, the mass ratio of the nano-conductive material in the nano-conductive material dispersion to the dielectric sensitive body is 1:20.

[0020] Preferably, in step S3, the conditions for ultrasonic adhesion treatment are as follows: the ultrasonic power is 480 W, and the total duration is 60 min.

[0021] Preferably, in step S4, the heat treatment conditions are as follows: the heat treatment temperature is 60° C., and the heat treatment time is 10 min.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: the interlocking structure flexible pressure sensor for deep-sea environment provided by the present invention has the characteristics of being able to withstand deep-sea pressure, being able to fit well on a manipulator, being highly sensitive, having a wide detection range, having good stability, being low in preparation cost, and being simple in manufacturing method; it does not require the use of precise processing methods and expensive materials, is suitable for deep-sea exploration, and has a high market value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dielectric sensitive layer in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a dielectric sensitive layer in Example 5 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dielectric sensitive layer according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a dielectric sensitive layer in Example 7 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a resistance change curve of the flexible stress sensor made in Example 1 of the present invention when subjected to a water pressure of 30 MPa;

[0028] Figure 6This is a sensitivity curve diagram of the flexible stress sensor made in Example 1 of the present invention when subjected to a water pressure of 30 MPa.

[0029] Description of reference numerals:

[0030] 11-first dielectric; 12-second dielectric; 13-first elastic body; 14-second elastic body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] It should be understood that the terms described in the present invention are only for describing special embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, for the numerical range in the present invention, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the scope is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between the intermediate value in any stated value or stated range and any other stated value or intermediate value in the described range is also included in the present invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges can be independently included or excluded in the scope.

[0033] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the specific embodiments of the present invention description without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Other embodiments derived from the present invention description will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The present application description and examples are exemplary only.

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible pressure sensor for a deep-sea environment, comprising a dielectric sensitive layer and a conductive cloth bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric sensitive layer, wherein the dielectric sensitive layer comprises a first dielectric 11 and a second dielectric 12 arranged opposite to each other, and at least one first elastomer 13 is integrally provided on a surface of the first dielectric 11 close to the second dielectric 12, and at least one second elastomer 14 is integrally provided on a surface of the second dielectric 12 close to the first dielectric 11, and the first elastomer 13 is in contact with the second elastomer 14.

[0035] When the flexible pressure sensor enters the deep sea environment, seawater will enter the structure of the sensor. Since the seawater and the sensor are integrated, the pressure inside and outside the sensor will remain balanced, thereby releasing the impact of the deep sea high pressure. When the pressure acts on the surface of the flexible pressure sensor, the first elastic body 13 and the second elastic body 14 of the sensor will be compressed by the pressure, and the contact area of the internal structure will increase, forming a new conductive circuit, thereby reducing the overall resistance of the sensor. This is also the reason why the sensor can withstand the deep sea high pressure and work normally in the deep sea.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 are the same and are selected from one of a circle, a semicircle, and a polygon. In a specific implementation manner, the polygon can be a triangle, and at this time, the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 can be a triangular pyramid; the polygon can be a quadrilateral, and at this time, the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 can be a triangular prism, a cylinder, etc.; the polygon can also be a pentagon and other shapes, and the styles of the corresponding first elastomer 13 and second elastomer 14 also change.

[0037] In a specific implementation manner, the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 are arranged in an array.

[0038] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a preparation method for a flexible pressure sensor for a deep-sea environment, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0039] S1. Design a model, and use a resin raw material to print a dielectric-sensitive blank in a 3D printer;

[0040] S2. Add a nano-conductive material to a dispersion solvent, and after ultrasonic dispersion treatment with a power of 480 W, a time of on for 2 s, off for 4 s, and a total duration of 60 min, obtain a nano-conductive material dispersion;

[0041] S3. Mix the dielectric-sensitive blank obtained in step S1 with the nano-conductive material dispersion obtained in step S2, and perform ultrasonic adhesion treatment at a power of 480 W for 60 min to obtain a dielectric-sensitive layer, where the mass ratio of the nano-conductive material to the dielectric-sensitive blank in the nano-conductive material dispersion is 1:20;

[0042] S4. Put the dielectric-sensitive layer obtained in step S3 into an oven for heat treatment, the oven temperature is 60 °C, the time is 10 min, and conductive cloths are respectively adhered to the upper and lower surfaces of the heat-treated dielectric-sensitive layer to obtain a flexible pressure sensor for a deep-sea environment.

[0043] In an embodiment of the present invention, in step S1, the resin raw material is selected from at least one of epoxy acrylate, polyurethane acrylate resin, polyester acrylate resin, and amino acrylate resin.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present invention, in step S1, the 3D printer is selected from one of FDM, SLS, SLM, LOM, SLA, DLP, EBM, PCM, LENS, PloyJet, MSL, MLS, LCVD, EFAB, FIBDW, and FF.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present invention, in step S2, the nano-conductive material is selected from at least one of carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal nanowires, and Mxene.

[0046] The technical effects of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0047] Embodiment 1:

[0048] As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment provides a flexible stress sensor, which includes a dielectric sensitive layer and conductive cloths bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric sensitive layer. The dielectric sensitive layer includes a first dielectric body 11 and a second dielectric body 12 arranged oppositely, and a first elastic body 13 is integrally provided on the surface of the first dielectric body 11 close to the second dielectric body 12, and a second elastic body 14 is integrally provided on the surface of the second dielectric body 12 close to the first dielectric body 11. The first elastic body 13 abuts against the second elastic body 14.

[0049] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the first elastic body 13 and the second elastic body 14 are the same and are both hemispherical, and the first elastic body 13 and the second elastic body 14 are arranged in an array. In this embodiment, one second elastic body 14 on the second dielectric body 12 corresponds to three first elastic bodies 13 on the first dielectric body 11, and the smooth surface of the first elastic body 13 is integrally provided on the first dielectric body 11. The hemispherical curved surface of the first elastic body 13 abuts against the corresponding second elastic body 14. At this time, when the first elastic body 13 and the second elastic body 14 are squeezed, the squeezing area can reach the maximum; in other embodiments, the ratio of the number of the first elastic bodies 13 abutting against the second elastic body 14 to the number of the second elastic bodies 14 can be 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, etc.

[0050] And it is obtained by the following preparation method:

[0051] S1. Design a dielectric sensitive layer model in which both the first elastic body 13 and the second elastic body 14 are spherical. Use epoxy acrylate to print 23.75 g of a dielectric sensitive green body in a 3D printer. Then, put the obtained dielectric sensitive green body into 150 ml of isopropyl alcohol solution and ultrasonically clean it for 5 min. After taking it out, put it into a post-treatment device for 3 min of post-treatment.

[0052] S2. Mix 1.1875 g of single-walled carbon nanotubes and 200 ml of isopropyl alcohol solution, and ultrasonically disperse them for 60 min to obtain a carbon nanotube dispersion.

[0053] S3. Mix the dielectric sensitive green body obtained in step S1 and the carbon nanotube dispersion obtained in step S2 together, and perform ultrasonic adhesion for 60 min to obtain a dielectric sensitive layer.

[0054] S4. Take out the ultrasonically treated dielectric sensitive layer and put it into an oven for heat treatment. The oven temperature is 60 °C and the time is 10 min.

[0055] S5. After the heat treatment is completed, a conductive cloth is adhered to the dielectric sensitive layer, and a flexible pressure sensor for deep-sea environment is obtained.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] The difference from Example 1 is only that in this example, the resin raw materials are polyurethane acrylate resin and polyester acrylate resin; the nano conductive materials are carbon nanotubes and graphene, and the others are the same as in Example 1, which will not be elaborated here.

[0058] Example 3

[0059] The difference from Example 1 is only that in this example, the resin raw material is amino acrylate resin; the nano conductive material is metal nanowire, and the others are the same as in Example 1, which will not be elaborated here.

[0060] Example 4

[0061] The difference from Example 1 is only that in this example, the resin raw material is polyester acrylate resin; the nano conductive material is Mxene, and the others are the same as in Example 1, which will not be elaborated here.

[0062] Example 5

[0063] As Figure 2 shown, the difference from Example 1 is only that in this example, the cross-sectional shapes of the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 are the same and are both triangular, and at this time, both the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 are triangular pyramids. The triangular pyramid angle of the first elastomer 13 abuts against one side of the second elastomer 14, and the bottom surface of the triangular pyramid of the first elastomer 13 is integrally provided with the first dielectric body 11, and the bottom surface of the triangular pyramid of the second elastomer 14 is integrally provided with the second dielectric body 14. In this example, the ratio of the number of the first elastomer 13 abutting against the second elastomer 14 to the number of the second elastomer 14 is 1:1. In other examples, this ratio can be 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, etc., and the others are the same as in Example 1, which will not be elaborated here.

[0064] Example 6

[0065] As Figure 3As shown, the difference from Example 1 is only that in this embodiment, the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 have the same shape and are both rectangular. At this time, both the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 are cuboids. The top surface of the cuboid of the first elastomer 13 abuts against the top surface of the cuboid of the second elastomer 14, and the bottom surface of the cuboid of the first elastomer 13 is integrally provided with the first dielectric 11, and the bottom surface of the cuboid of the second elastomer 14 is integrally provided with the second dielectric 14. In this embodiment, the ratio of the number of the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 that are in contact with each other to the number of the second elastomer 14 is 1:1. In other embodiments, this ratio can be 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, etc. Others are the same as Example 1 and will not be elaborated here.

[0066] Example 7

[0067] As Figure 4 shown, the difference from Example 1 is only that in this embodiment, the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 have the same shape and are both quadrilaterals. At this time, both the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 are cylindrical. The top surface of the cylinder of the first elastomer 13 abuts against the top surface of the cylinder of the second elastomer 14, and the bottom surface of the cylinder of the first elastomer 13 is integrally provided with the first dielectric 11, and the bottom surface of the cylinder of the second elastomer 14 is integrally provided with the second dielectric 14. In this embodiment, the ratio of the number of the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14 that are in contact with each other to the number of the second elastomer 14 is 3:1. In other embodiments, this ratio can be 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, etc. Others are the same as Example 1 and will not be elaborated here.

[0068] Comparative Example 1

[0069] The difference from Example 1 is only that in this comparative example, there are no first elastomer 13 and second elastomer 14. Others are the same as Example 1 and will not be elaborated here.

[0070] Perform performance detection on the flexible stress sensor prepared in Example 1. The detection results are as Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown. It can be seen that the flexible pressure sensor prepared in Example 1 of the present invention has a resistance change of only 5% after withstanding a water pressure of 30 MPa; after withstanding a water pressure of 30 MPa and then continuing to withstand a positive pressure, it can still maintain the ability to work normally. Therefore, the interlocking structure flexible pressure sensor for deep-sea environment prepared in the embodiment of the present invention has the ability to withstand high deep-sea pressure, can still maintain the stability of the resistance after withstanding a high pressure of 30 MPa, and can work normally.

[0071] The performance of the flexible stress sensor prepared in Comparative Example 1 was detected, and the detection results showed that: for the flexible pressure sensor prepared in Comparative Example 1, the ability to withstand deep-sea high pressure was significantly reduced, the detection range was decreased, the sensitivity was significantly reduced, and the overall modulus was increased. This was caused by the lack of the first elastomer 13 and the second elastomer 14.

[0072] The flexible pressure sensor of the present invention is prepared by 3D printing. Due to the structural design, the sensor can withstand deep-sea high pressure and work normally in the deep sea. The flexible pressure sensor described in the present invention has the characteristics of withstanding deep-sea high pressure, high sensitivity, wide detection range, good stability, low preparation cost, simple manufacturing method, etc., and is suitable for deep-sea exploration.

[0073] Although the present disclosure is disclosed as above, the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and these changes and modifications will all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment, characterized in that, It includes a dielectric sensitive layer and conductive cloths adhered to the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric sensitive layer. The dielectric sensitive layer includes a first dielectric body (11) and a second dielectric body (12) arranged oppositely, and at least one first elastic body (13) is integrally provided on the surface of the first dielectric body (11) close to the second dielectric body (12), and at least one second elastic body (14) is integrally provided on the surface of the second dielectric body (12) close to the first dielectric body (11), and the first elastic body (13) is in contact with the second elastic body (14). The preparation method of the flexible pressure sensor specifically includes the following steps: S1. Design a model, and use a resin raw material to print a dielectric sensitive blank in a 3D printer; S2. Add a nano conductive material into a dispersion solvent, and obtain a nano conductive material dispersion liquid through ultrasonic dispersion; S3. Mix the dielectric sensitive blank obtained in step S1 with the nano conductive material dispersion liquid obtained in step S2, and perform ultrasonic adhesion to obtain a dielectric sensitive layer. S4. Heat-treat the dielectric sensitive layer obtained in step S3, and stick conductive cloths on the upper and lower surfaces of the heat-treated dielectric sensitive layer respectively to obtain a flexible pressure sensor for deep-sea environment.

2. The flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment according to claim 1, wherein, The cross-sectional shapes of the first elastic body (13) and the second elastic body (14) are the same and are selected from one of a circle, a semi-circle and a polygon.

3. The flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the first elastic body (13) and the second elastic body (14) are arranged in an array.

4. The flexible pressure sensor for deep-sea environment according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the resin raw material is selected from at least one of epoxy acrylate, polyurethane acrylate resin, polyester acrylate resin, and amino acrylate resin; and / or, in step S1, the 3D printer is selected from one of FDM, SLS, SLM, LOM, SLA, DLP, EBM, PCM, LENS, PloyJet, MSL, MLS, LCVD, EFAB, FIBDW, FF.

5. The flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment according to claim 1, wherein, In step S2, the nano conductive material is selected from at least one of carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal nanowires, and Mxene.

6. The flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment according to claim 1, wherein, In step S2, the conditions of the ultrasonic dispersion treatment are as follows: the ultrasonic power is 480W, the ultrasonic dispersion treatment time is 2s on and 4s off, and the total duration is 60min.

7. The flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment according to claim 1, wherein In step S3, the mass ratio of the nano conductive material in the nano conductive material dispersion liquid to the dielectric sensitive blank is 1:

20.

8. The flexible pressure sensor for deep - sea environment according to claim 1, wherein, In step S3, the conditions of the ultrasonic adhesion treatment are as follows: the ultrasonic power is 480W, and the total duration is 60min.

9. The flexible pressure sensor for deep-sea environment according to claim 1, wherein, In step S4, the conditions of the heat treatment are as follows: the heat treatment temperature is 60°C, and the heat treatment time is 10min.

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