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，我们正在研究一种可扩展的架构，用于在紧凑的机身中构建成百上千个形状记忆合金 (SMA) 执行器。浸没在特殊液体中的 SMA 细丝以矩阵形式排列，因此可以快速有效地从每根 SMA 细丝中去除热量或将热量传递到每根 SMA 细丝中。借助这种矩阵架构，只需 2N 个阀门即可将流体输送到每个 N2 SMA 阵列执行器。因此，该架构可扩展以构建大量执行器：20 个阀门可用于 100 个阵列执行器，30 个阀门可用于 225 个阵列执行器。在这个探索性项目中，正在构建一个用于测试 4 x 4（16 轴）阵列致动器的测试台，以便研究大型阵列 SMA 致动器的动力学和控制，并研究设计的可扩展性。该方法可以与其他能源集成，例如燃料电池、微型燃气轮机和内燃机，以节省能源。这些能源最终会产生热量作为废能，这些废能可以通过流体收集并用于激活 SMA 执行器。这种联合能源发电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。由热电联产系统供电的大量 SMA 阵列执行器将使移动平台能够执行高度复杂的多功能任务。就像生物一样，如果广泛的自由度执行器技术可用，机器人有一天将能够奔跑、跳跃和飞行。