Piezoelectric driven oscillating surface
AssigneeRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
InventorsTyler Van Buren, Michael Amitay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is an active roughness actuator and a method of forming an active roughness actuator. The active roughness actuator includes a surface having at least one aperture; a compliant layer disposed on the surface such that the compliant layer covers the at least one aperture; a chamber having a fluid therein and a piezoelectric surface mechanically coupled to the chamber. The chamber is in fluid communication with the compliant layer via the at least one aperture. The piezoelectric surface is configured to displace the fluid in the chamber to control production of at least one dimple in the compliant layer proximate to the at least one aperture.
Claims20
An active roughness actuator comprising:
- a surface having at least one aperture;
- a compliant layer disposed on the surface such that the compliant layer covers the at least one aperture;
- a chamber having a fluid therein, the chamber being in fluid communication with the compliant layer via the at least one aperture;
- and
- a piezoelectric surface mechanically coupled to the chamber,
- wherein the piezoelectric surface is configured to displace the fluid in the chamber to control production of at least one dimple in the compliant layer proximate to the at least one aperture.
A method of forming an active roughness actuator, the method comprising:
- forming at least one aperture in a surface;
- disposing a compliant layer on the surface such that the compliant layer covers the at least one aperture;
- forming a chamber having a fluid therein such that the chamber is in fluid communication with the compliant layer via the at least one aperture;
- and
- mechanically coupling a piezoelectric surface to the chamber,
- wherein the piezoelectric surface is configured to displace the fluid in the chamber to control production of at least one dimple in the compliant layer proximate to the at least one aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.