Method and system for generating mechanical waves
AssigneeTechnion Research & Development Foundation Limited
InventorsIzhak Bucher, Eyal Setter
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Abstract
A system for generating a mechanical wave is disclosed. The system comprises a camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along an axis of an elastic tubular shell to form a varying phase angle along the shaft. The system further comprises a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of the cams generates a linear motion of the cam followers to radially bias in internal wall the shell. The variation of the phase angle is selected to generate a three-dimensional traveling wave along the shell.
Claims26
A system for generating a mechanical wave having a wavelength λ, the system comprising:
- an elastic tubular shell, having an axis;
- a camshaft positioned within said tubular shell, said camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along said axis to form a varying phase angle along said shaft;
- and
- a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generates a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias an internal wall of said shell;
- wherein said variation of said phase angle is from about 2π(L/λ)/(N·Nc)−X to about 2π(L/λ)/(N·Nc)+X, wherein N is a number of angular wavelengths along a periphery of each cam, Nc is a number of said cams, L is a distance between a first cam and a last cam of said camshaft, and X is less than 10°/N.
A method of displacing an object, comprising introducing a self-propelled vehicle having the object into a fluid medium to generate therein a mechanical wave having a wavelength λ, wherein said self-propelled vehicle comprises:
- an elastic tubular shell, having an axis;
- a camshaft positioned within said tubular shell, said camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along said axis to form a varying phase angle along said shaft;
- and
- a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generate a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias an internal wall of said shell;
- wherein said variation of said phase angle is from about 2π(L/λ)/(N·Nc)−X to about 2π(L/λ)/(N·Nc)+X, wherein N is a number of angular wavelengths along a periphery of each cam, Nc is a number of said cams, L is a distance between a first cam and a last cam of said camshaft, and X is less than 10°/N.
A method of pumping, comprising fixating a pump in a lumen having a fluid medium therein and activating said pump to generate in the fluid medium a mechanical wave having a wavelength λ, wherein said pump comprises:
- an elastic tubular shell, having an axis;
- a camshaft positioned within said tubular shell, said camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along said axis to form a varying phase angle along said shaft;
- and
- a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generate a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias an internal wall of said shell;
- wherein said variation of said phase angle is from about 2π(L/λ)/(N·Nc)−X to about 2π(L/λ)/(N·Nc)+X, wherein N is a number of angular wavelengths along a periphery of each cam, Nc is a number of said cams, L is a distance between a first cam and a last cam of said camshaft, and X is less than 10°/N.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.