Electrodes for linear switched capacitive devices

A machine comprising:

• a body;
• at least one electric power source coupled to said body;
• and
• at least one mechanism translatably coupled to said body and comprising at least one switched capacitive device configured to induce movement of said at least one mechanism, said at least one switched capacitive device comprising:
• a stationary portion comprising a plurality of first electrodes extending at least partially in a longitudinal dimension, wherein each first electrode of said plurality of first electrodes has a first electrode volume;
• and
• a translatable portion comprising a plurality of second electrodes proximate said plurality of first electrodes, wherein each second electrode of said plurality of second electrodes has a second electrode volume, the first electrode volume greater than the second electrode volume, said plurality of second electrodes translatable with respect to said plurality of first electrodes, said plurality of second electrodes extending at least partially in the longitudinal dimension, said plurality of first electrodes configured to induce substantially linear motion of said plurality of second electrodes in the longitudinal dimension through the use of an electric field induced by at least a portion of said plurality of first electrodes, wherein said at least one switched capacitive device is sectionalized into a plurality of unit cells coupled together, and wherein each said unit cell of said plurality of unit cells comprises:
• a section of said stationary portion comprising a portion of said plurality of first electrodes;
• and
• a section of said translatable portion comprising a portion of said plurality of second electrodes, said section of said translatable portion complementary with, and in opposition to, said section of said stationary portion.

A method for converting electrical energy into mechanical energy through a switched capacitive device, the switched capacitive device including a stationary portion and a translatable portion proximate the stationary portion, the switched capacitive device defining a longitudinal dimension, the stationary portion including a plurality of first electrodes extending at least partially in the longitudinal dimension, the translatable portion including a plurality of second electrodes proximate, complementary with, and in opposition to the plurality of first electrodes, the plurality of second electrodes translatable with respect to the plurality of first electrodes, the plurality of second electrodes extending at least partially in the longitudinal dimension, wherein the switched capacitive device is sectionalized into a plurality of unit cells coupled together, and wherein each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells includes a section of the stationary portion including a portion of the plurality of first electrodes and a section of the translatable portion including a portion of the plurality of second electrodes, the section of the translatable portion complementary with, and in opposition to, the section of the stationary portion, said method comprising:

• energizing at least a portion of the plurality of first electrodes, wherein each first electrode of the plurality of first electrodes has a first electrode volume;
• inducing an electric field about the at least a portion of the first plurality of electrodes, wherein the electric field is further induced about at least a portion of the plurality of second electrodes, wherein each second electrode of the plurality of second electrodes has a second electrode volume, the first electrode volume greater than the second electrode volume;
• and
• inducing linear motion of the translatable portion in the longitudinal direction as a function of the electric field induced by at least a portion of the plurality of first electrodes.