US 5,961,298 A · Traveling wave pump employing electroactive actuators

Abstract

A traveling wave pump which employs one or more pairs of interfacing plates to transfer fluid (gas or liquid) from one or more inlets to one or more outlets. At least one of the plates in each pair of interfacing plates is driven so as to produce a flexure traveling wave therein. Actuators incorporating electroactive elements are used to drive the driven plates and create the flexure traveling wave. This wave causes chambers to form between the interfacing plates which move from one end of the driven plate to the other in the direction of the wave. Fluid is drawn into a forming chamber, and eventually the forming chamber closes trapping the fluid therein. The fluid is then transported through the pump by the now completely formed chamber as it propagates along the plate interface. If only one of the interfacing plates is driven, the other remains fixed in that no chambers are formed at its surface. However, where both plates are driven, the traveling waves therein are synchronized and coincident chambers are formed at the surface of both plates, thereby doubling the amount of fluid pumped. In addition, the flow direction can be changed by controlling the phase of the drive signals.

Claims54

Dependent claims

A traveling wave pump comprising:

a pump housing having an internal cavity;
at least one pair of interfacing plates disposed within the internal cavity of the pump;
at least one inlet capable of allowing a fluid to flow into the internal cavity of the pump, each inlet being in correspondence with a first end of a separate one of said pair of interfacing plates;
at least one outlet capable of allowing a fluid to flow out of the internal cavity of the pump, each outlet being in correspondence with a second end of a separate one of said pair of interfacing plates;
and
actuating means for creating a flexure traveling wave in at least one plate of each pair of interfacing plates whenever said activating means is in an active mode, wherein each plate having a flexure traveling wave created therein is a driven plate and wherein the flexure traveling wave causes fluid carrying chambers to form between the pair of interfacing plates and move along the surface of the interfacing plates in the direction of propagation of the flexure traveling wave.

3 more elements

A segmented traveling wave pump comprising:

a pump housing having an internal cavity divided into sections by intervening partitions;
at least one pair of interfacing plates disposed within each section of the internal cavity of the pump housing;
at least one inlet associated with each cavity section which is capable of allowing a fluid to flow into the internal cavity of the pump, each inlet being in correspondence with a first end of a separate one of said pair of interfacing plates disposed in each cavity section;
at least one outlet associated with each cavity section which is capable of allowing a fluid to flow out of the internal cavity of the pump, each outlet being in correspondence with a second end of a separate one of said pair of interfacing plates disposed in each cavity section;
and
separate actuating means associated with each cavity section for creating a flexure traveling wave in at least one plate of each pair of interfacing plates therein whenever said activating means is in an active mode, wherein each plate having a flexure traveling wave created therein is a driven plate and wherein fluid carrying chambers form at the surface of each driven plate interfacing with the other plate in the pair of plates and move along said interfacing surface in the direction of propagation of the flexure traveling wave.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Traveling wave pump employing electroactive actuators

Life of this patent

Traveling wave pump employing electroactive actuators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims54