SGER: Exploratory Research on Wet SMA Array Actuators

SGER：湿式 SMA 阵列执行器的探索性研究

• 批准号: 0322601
• 负责人: Haruhiko Asada
• 金额: $ 9.52万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-01 至 2004-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0322601&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SGER; Exploratory; Research; Wet; SMA

In this project we are investigating a scalable architecture for building hundreds and thousands of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators housed in a compact body. SMA filaments submerged in special fluids are arranged in matrix form, so that heat can be removed from and delivered to each of the SMA filaments rapidly and efficiently. With this matrix architecture, only 2N valves are needed for delivering fluids to each of N2 SMA array actuators. The architecture is therefore scalable for building a vast number of actuators: 20 valves for 100 array actuators, and 30 valves for 225 array actuators. In this exploratory project a test bed for testing 4 by 4 (16 axes) array actuators is being built in order to study the dynamics and control of the vast array SMA actuators as well as to investigate scalability of the design. The proposed method can be integrated with other energy sources, such as fuel cells, micro gas turbines, and internal combustion engines, for energy saving. These energy sources eventually produce heat as waste energy, which can be collected with fluids and used for activating the SMA actuators. This co-energy generation system has the potential to revolutionize the design of mobile robots, automobiles, and other mobile platforms. The vast number of SMA array actuators powered by a co-generation system would allow a mobile platform to perform highly complex, multifunctional tasks. Like biological creatures, robots will one day be able to run, leap, and fly, if the vast DOF actuator technology becomes available.

在这个项目中，我们正在研究一个可扩展的架构，用于建造成千上万的形状合金合金（SMA）执行器，该架构容纳在紧凑的身体中。浸入特殊流体的SMA丝以基质形式排列，以便可以从快速有效地将热量从并输送到每个SMA丝上。使用此矩阵架构，仅需要2N阀即可向N2 SMA阵列执行器中的每个阀传递流体。因此，该体系结构可扩展用于构建大量执行器：20个阵列执行器的20个阀门，以及225个阵列执行器的30个阀门。在这个探索性项目中，正在建造一个用于测试4 x 4（16个轴）阵列执行器的测试床，以研究庞大阵列SMA执行器的动态和控制以及研究设计的可扩展性。提出的方法可以与其他能源（例如燃料电池，微型燃气轮机和内燃烧发动机）集成，以节省节能。这些能源最终会产生作为废物的热量，可以用流体收集，并用于激活SMA执行器。这种共同生成系统有可能彻底改变移动机器人，汽车和其他移动平台的设计。由共同发电系统提供动力的大量SMA阵列执行器将使移动平台执行高度复杂，多功能的任务。像生物生物一样，如果庞大的DOF执行器技术可用，机器人将有一天能够奔跑，跳跃和飞行。