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，用于构建成百上千个形状记忆合金（SMA）致动器，这些致动器被安置在一个紧凑的身体中。浸泡在特殊流体中的SMA细丝以基质形式排列，因此可以快速有效地从每条SMA细丝中去除热量并将其传递给每条SMA细丝。采用这种矩阵结构，只需要2N个阀门就可以将流体输送到每个N2个SMA阵列执行器。因此，该架构可扩展用于构建大量执行器：20个阀门用于100个阵列执行器，30个阀门用于225个阵列执行器。在这个探索性项目中，为了研究大型阵列SMA致动器的动力学和控制以及研究设计的可扩展性，正在建立一个测试4 × 4（16轴）阵列致动器的试验台。该方法可与其他能源集成，如燃料电池、微型燃气轮机和内燃机，以实现节能。这些能源最终会产生热量作为废能，这些废能可以与流体一起收集，用于激活SMA致动器。这种联合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。由热电联产系统驱动的大量SMA阵列驱动器将允许移动平台执行高度复杂的多功能任务。像生物一样，如果广泛的自由度执行器技术成为可能，机器人有一天将能够奔跑、跳跃和飞行。