MEMS High Voltage Triboelectric Levitation: A Generactuator

这笔赠款旨在获得关于一种新型自主式机械冲击开关系统的多物理方面的新知识。该机构合并了两个传感器，一个将机械冲击转换为电压，另一个将电压转换为运动，以打开微开关。其结果是，当冲击超过阈值时，自动操作的传感器直接由机械冲击操作。目前，气囊展开装置中的冲击传感器需要一个处理单元来与装置接合，这需要一个复杂的控制系统，具有软件和组件故障的风险。该系统通过协同连接两个传感器，克服了每个系统的限制，从而消除了对信号处理单元的需求。在本项目将解决的每个传感器的几个关键方面的知识方面存在差距。该系统在地震探测系统中有很好的应用前景，这些系统需要对重大地震活动立即做出反应，如关闭输电线和响起警报。更广泛的应用包括汽车行业的安全开关和装运监测器。为了让更多的学生熟悉传感器，将开展教育活动，包括为当地小学提供实践经验，为本科生进行有组织的研究项目。这个项目的目的是通过摩擦发电机和悬浮致动器的集成，提供对潜在多物理的基本理解。这些系统分别在能量传递和静电驱动方面具有许多优点。然而，每种机制都有尚未得到充分解决的缺点，并在各种应用中造成了重大限制：摩擦发电机产生高电压(~50-70V)，使得它们在振动能量收集中的使用非常困难，而静电悬浮设备需要高电压才能运行。这两个系统的合并克服了每个系统的局限性。尽管对摩擦电材料进行了大量的研究，但摩擦电换能器与静电执行器的耦合动态特性尚不清楚。组合系统包含机械和电气部件，它们之间的能量交换复杂，从而影响它们的正常行为。该项目将通过数学模型、原型制造和实验验证来描绘这两个系统的非线性相互作用。将提出一种阈值冲击微开关，它在机械冲击下自动运行，以验证对影响这些设备的潜在物理现象的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This grant aims to obtain new knowledge regarding the multiphysics of a novel self-operated mechanical shock switch system. The mechanism merges two transducers, one which converts mechanical shock to voltage and another which converts voltage to motion to open a micro-switch. The result is a self-operated sensor directly operated by mechanical shock when the shock goes beyond a threshold. Currently, shock sensors such as those in air-bag deployment devices need a processing unit to engage the device, which requires a complicated control system having risks of software and component failures. The system eliminates the need for signal processing units by synergistically connecting two transducers that overcome the limitations of each system. There is a gap in the knowledge of several key aspects of each transducer that this project will address. The system has promising applications in earthquake detection systems that need to trigger an immediate response to significant seismic activity such as shutting off power lines and sounding alarms. Wider applications include safety switches in the automotive industry and shipment monitors. To familiarize a broad range of students with transducers, educational activities will be undertaken that include hands-on experiences for local elementary schools and structured research projects for undergraduate students. This project aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the underlying multiphysics from the integration of triboelectric generators and levitation actuators. These systems have numerous advantages for energy transduction and electrostatic actuation, respectively. However, each mechanism has drawbacks that have not been adequately addressed and cause major limitations in various applications: triboelectric generators produce high voltages (~50-70 V) making their use in vibration energy harvesting very difficult and electrostatic levitation devices require high voltages to operate. Merging the two systems overcomes the limitations of each system. Despite much research on triboelectric materials, the coupled dynamic characteristics of triboelectric transducers and electrostatic actuators are unknown. The combined system contains mechanical and electrical components causing a sophisticated exchange of the energies between them that affects their normal behavior. This project will delineate the nonlinear interactions of the two systems using mathematical models, prototype fabrication and experimental verification. A threshold shock micro-switch will be presented that autonomously operates from mechanical shock to validate the understanding of the underlying physical phenomenon affecting these devices.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.