Capacitive Transducer with Corrugated Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electroactive polymer actuators face challenges in controlling the direction of compliance of corrugated electrodes, limiting the number of windings due to material thickness, resulting in high electrical resistance and long response times, and require pre-strain for operation, which complicates design and increases the risk of buckling.
Innovation Solution
A capacitive transducer with a set of electrodes arranged within a dielectric material, where electrical energy is directly converted into mechanical work without the need for pre-strain, using a corrugated pattern to enhance compliance and reduce buckling, allowing for a higher number of windings and improved actuation force and response time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pre-strain is applied to provide compliance in electroactive polymer actuators, then compliance is improved, but device complexity and risk of buckling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies corrugation (a form of curvature) to the electrode structure to provide compliance. The corrugated electrodes can deform and bend more easily, providing the necessary compliance without requiring pre-strain of the entire polymer structure. This localized curvature approach achieves compliance while simplifying the overall device design and reducing buckling risks.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of pre-straining the entire polymer structure globally, the patent introduces compliance locally through corrugated electrodes. The corrugation is applied specifically to the electrode regions that need to deform, while the rest of the polymer structure maintains its structural integrity. This local quality approach provides compliance where needed without complicating the entire device.
2Stability of the object's composition
If material thickness is increased to reduce buckling, then stability is improved, but the number of windings is limited due to thickness constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrode structure into corrugated sections that can bend and deform independently. This segmentation allows the electrode to accommodate multiple windings by flexing at the corrugated regions, effectively increasing the number of windings without requiring a proportional increase in overall material thickness. Each corrugated segment acts as a flexible joint.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrugated structure introduces controlled curvature and flexibility to the electrodes, enabling them to wrap around multiple times. The corrugation allows the electrode to conform to curved paths with smaller radii, effectively increasing the number of windings that can be achieved within the same thickness constraints.
3Force
If the number of windings is increased to improve actuation force, then actuation force is improved, but electrical resistance increases and response time lengthens
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated electrode structure reduces the effective path length that electrical current must travel by creating a more direct conductive pathway through the corrugated regions. The curvature and folding of the corrugated structure bring electrode segments closer together electrically, reducing resistance even as the physical winding number increases. This allows more windings to be added for increased actuation force without proportionally increasing electrical resistance.
4Adaptability or versatility
If corrugated electrodes are used to enhance compliance, then compliance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated structure provides compliance through its geometric shape rather than requiring precise control of material properties or pre-strain levels. The compliance is inherent in the corrugation geometry itself, making the system more robust to manufacturing variations. Small variations in corrugation dimensions result in proportional changes in compliance, but the functional performance is maintained across a range of manufacturing tolerances.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a significant increase in actuation force, improved response time, and reduced manufacturing complexity, eliminating the need for pre-strain and minimizing buckling, while maintaining low electrical resistance and efficient energy conversion.
Implementation Method 1
electrical energy supplied to the electrodes can be at least partly converted directly into mechanical work for actuation by the transducer
Implementation Method 2
The dielectric material may have a corrugated pattern which may provide compliance of the capacitor
Data Source
AI summary
A capacitive transducer having a significantly increased actuation force and improved response time as compared to similar prior art capacitive transducers. In the capacitive transducer of the present invention it is not necessary to balance response time and actuation force or to provide pre-strain to the transducer in a direction of actuation. Additionally, buckling in the capacitive transducer is prevented, or at least substantially reduced, in a simple manner.