Drag modification piezoelectric panels

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and means to increase or decrease, on demand, the drag exerted by a fluid on a boundary. The boundary comprises a surface portion of a structure enclosing a moving fluid or may comprise a portion of the outer surface of an object moving through the fluid. Drag is varied by means of a set of piezoelectric sensors and an accompanying set of piezoelectric driver elements arranged in close proximity to one another at the boundary and electrically interconnected so that the pressure exerted by the moving fluid is sensed by one or more sensors and converted to an electrical signal which is then transformed into an electrical drive signal which is applied to one or more driver elements to cause a flexing of the driver element(s) in a predetermined direction so that drag is either reduced by moving the driver(s) away from the fluid or increased by moving the driver(s) towards the fluid. In the case of turbulent flow, drag is decreased by decreasing the pressure gradient in the fluid; that is, the drivers are moved away from the fluid in regions of high pressure and toward the fluid in regions of low pressure. The drag is increased by reversing these motions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.