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US 6,886,331 B2Granted
Magnetohydraulic motor
AssigneeEnergen, Inc.
InventorChandrashekhar H. Joshi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetohydraulic motor with a positive displacement pump that pumps hydraulic fluid to and from the two sides of a bi-directional piston that provides the motor's output force and motion. Motion control is provided by properly controlling valves that selectively open and close fluid passageways between the actuator member and each side of the piston.
Claims7
A magnetohydraulic motor, comprising:
- a positive displacement pump comprising:
- a shape-changing actuator member comprising a magnetic shape memory material;
- means for controllably applying an electrically-derived field to the actuator member to cause the member to reversibly change shape;
- and
- a hydraulic fluid chamber in communication with the actuator member;
- a hydraulic piston having two sides, the piston movable in two directions by the force of hydraulic fluid;
- fluid communications passageways connecting the pump's fluid chamber to each side of the piston;
- and
- electrically-operable valves for selectively opening and closing each fluid communications passageway, to selectively move hydraulic fluid between the fluid chamber and the two sides of the piston, and thereby cause motion of the piston.
6 more elements
A magnetohydraulic motor, comprising:
- an actuator housing:
- a magnetic shape memory material (SMM) actuator coupled to the actuator housing at one end;
- a hydraulic fluid within the actuator housing, and in fluid communication with at least the free end of the SMM actuator;
- a selectively-actuatable coil for selectively applying a magnetic field to the actuator, to cause the actuator to change shape and thus move the fluid within the actuator housing;
- a piston for translating fluid movement to external mechanical motion;
- a piston housing surrounding the piston and defining one or more piston-actuating fluid chambers;
- one or more fluid communication channels for directing fluid between the actuator housing and the piston-actuating fluid chambers;
- and
- a selectively-operable valve in the fluid communication channel, for selectively transferring fluid between the actuator housing and the piston-actuating fluid chamber, to selectively move the piston and thereby cause external mechanical motion.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.