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AssigneeFlorida Atlantic University Board of Trustees
InventorsBing OUYANG, Tsung-Chow SU, Yanjun LI, Jordan THOMAS
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Underwater Deployable Structures (UDSs) capable of achieving inflation via mechanical pumps, moisture-activated expanding foams, water swelling material, or a hybrid of a mechanical pump and water swelling material. Moisture expanding foams begin as polyurethane-based resins of low viscosity, and react in the presence of water to become solid foam. In their final forms, the foams exist as open- or closed-cell, and vary in strength, elasticity, and rigidity. Water swelling material is also disclosed wherein the water swelling material is capable of achieving expansion numerous (e.g., up to about 250) times its initial volume when in contact with water and can shrink back to its initial volume upon dehydration, making the UDSs reusable. A mechanical pump may optionally be used to assist in initial inflation until the water swelling material reaches full expansion.
A method of making a foam object for an underwater deployable structure, the method comprising:
A method of making an automatic modifiable array of an underwater deployable structure, the method comprising:
An underwater deployable structure device, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.