New Actuator Design

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Summary

An improved version of the membrane actuator has been designed and constructed based on our previous diaphragm actuator. It consists of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite (FSMA) diaphragm and an electromagnet system. The actuation mechanism of the membrane actuator is a hybrid mechanism. The high momentum airflow will be produced by the oscillation of the circular FSMA composite diaphragm driven by electromagnets close to its resonance frequency. This membrane actuator is designed for the active flow control technology on airplane wings. The active flow control (AFC) technology has been studied and shown that it can help aircraft improve aerodynamic performance and jet noise reduction. AFC can be achieved by a synthetic jet actuator injecting high momentum air into the airflow at the appropriate locations on aircraft wings. Due to large force and martensitic transformation on the FSMA composite diaphragm, the membrane actuator can produce 190 m/s synthetic jets at 220 Hz. A series connection of several membrane actuators is proposed to construct a synthetic jet actuator package for distributing synthetic jet flow along the wing span.

 (a) Schematic of the membrane actuator (b) the synthetic jet flow created by the oscillation of the FSMA composite diaphragm

Related publications

• J. Wang, C, Xu, M, Taya, and Y. Kuga, "Flemion based actuator with ionic liquid as solvent", Smart Materials and Structures, 2006 in press.
• J. Wang, C, Xu, M, Taya, and Y. Kuga, "Mechanical stability optimization of Flemion-based composite artificial muscles by means of proper solvent", Journal of Material Research, 21 (8) 2018-2022, 2006.
• Y. Liang, Y. Kuga, and M. Taya, "Design of membrane actuator based on ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite for synthetic jet applications," Sensors and Actuators, A: Physical, vol. 125, no. 2, pp. 512-518, January 2006.
• Y. Liang, Y. Kuga, and M. Taya, "Design of synthetic jet actuator based on FSMA composite," SPIE: Smart Structure and Materials, San Diego, CA, March 9 2005.
• Y. Liang, M. Taya, and Y. Kuga, "Design of membrane actuators based on ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite for the synthetic jet actuator," SPIE: Smart Structure and Materials, San Diego, CA, March 15-18, 2004.
• M. L. Guilly, C. Xu, M. Taya, and Y. Kuga, "Micro actuator array based on ionic polymer with patterned self-assembled gold electrode," NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Boston, MA, March 7-11, 2004.

Sponsored by NSF??