Actively controlled surfaces
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJoshua Benjamin Guerry, Peter Aaron Koch, Li Chun Chang, Robert Hans Thim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Active surface structures comprise an exposed surface, a controlled group of MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) actuators, and a controlled region of the exposed surface corresponding to the controlled group. The controlled region has a first state, and a second state that is less textured than the first state. Active surface structures may be part of an apparatus that includes a controller and/or one or more sensors. The controller, sensors, and the controlled region may form a feedback loop in which the active surface structure is actively controlled.
Claims24
An active surface structure comprising:
- an exposed surface;
- a controlled group of one or more micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) actuators;
- and
- a controlled region of the exposed surface corresponding to the controlled group;
- wherein the controlled region is configured to be actively changed between a first state and a second state as a result of the one or more MEMS actuators being activated or deactivated, wherein the exposed surface in the first state is more textured than in the second state, and wherein the controlled region in at least one of the first state and the second state includes a plurality of nanoprotrusions projecting from a plurality of microprotrusions as a result of the one or more MEMS actuators being activated or deactivated, wherein the nanoprotrusions are spaced apart from one another with an average spacing of 1-1,000 nanometers (nm) and have an average height of 1-1,000 nm, and wherein the microprotrusions are spaced apart from one another with an average spacing of 1-100 microns (μm) and have an average height of 1-100 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.