Multi-mode mechanical swimmer that acts as a rheometer
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsEric S. G. Shaqfeh, Manu Prakash, Laurel Kroo, Jeremy Patrick Binagia
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Abstract
Improved rheometry is provided using an autonomous swimming robot that can be driven at least in an angular velocity mode and in a torque mode. The resulting improved capability can enable measurement of multiple rheological parameters, such as both normal stress components ψ1 and ψ2, by observing motion of the robot in the fluid. The robot is preferably rotationally symmetric, but with a fore-aft head-tail asymmetry that enables propulsion in complex fluids when the head and tail are driven to rotate opposite each other about the rotational axis of symmetry.
Claims15
A method of performing in-situ measurements of rheological properties of a complex liquid, the method comprising:
- disposing one or more robots in the complex liquid, wherein each robot has a first part and a second part that can be driven in rotation relative to each other;
- wherein the one or more robots are each capable of operating in an angular velocity mode and a torque mode, and wherein at least one of the one or more robots is operated in the torque mode;
- wherein the angular velocity mode entails control of the relative angular velocity of the first part and the second part;
- wherein the torque mode entails control of an applied torque between the first part and the second part;
- and
- determining one or more rheological properties of the complex liquid from observation of motion of the one or more robots in the complex liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.