Exploding Gas Electrochemical Actuators (07845)

Project nummer: 07845

Omschrijving van het onderzoek

The lack of powerful micro actuators forms a bottleneck for wider applications of micro and nano systems. Current micro actuators use either electrostatic forces which are far too weak for many applications, or thermal forces based on expansion of a gas or a polymer. The latter is too slow for many applications. State of the art piezoelectric actuators are either too weak or to bulky. Here we want to explore a new principle of micro actuation with the potential to fill the gap. The actuator is based on the formation of exploding gas after electrolysis of water and the subsequent back reaction of the hydrogen-oxygen mixture by ignition. The generated pressure will be used to bend a membrane.
There are two separate aspects for the use of the result of the project. It is generic in the sense that we will contribute to the understanding of the processes of combustion in confined spaces. This knowledge is important in the field of chemical micro- and nano reactors. The second aspect is obviously the actuator we intend to study. Direct application of such an actuator is again in the field of microreactors and microfluidics, but now as a component of these systems. The actuator is needed in flow controllers, pumps and valves when pressure driven flow is needed. An application for actuators in other fields is in micro- and nano positioning and micro robotics.

Gebruikers

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Projectleider

Prof.dr. M.C. Elwenspoek
Universiteit Twente
Elektrotechniek, Wiskunde en Informatica
MESA+
Postbus 217
7500 AE Enschede

Status van het project

Startdatum:	16-04-2007
Einddatum:	16-04-2010

Trefwoorden

Actuator, explosie, micro-actuator, micromachining,, belletjes, MEMS, verbranding

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