EAP (Electroactive Polymers)

[DreamThinkBuild]

Hi All,

There is an interesting direction of study of EAP's (Electroactive Polymers) for power generation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroactive_polymers

There have been claims that large forces can be generated with low power requirements.

Dielectric Elastomer Generators (DEGs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SIUuGRv3R0

Large DEG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIwM0GegUWQ

Power Fabric from Fishing Line Artificial Muscle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNS0pxnQfdY

Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle (EPAM) Spring Roll Actuator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIh8L59sd30


This site might also open some other areas/ideas for builders to explore.

http://softroboticstoolkit.com/

http://softroboticstoolkit.com/book/dielectric-elastomer-actuators

What is the soft robotics toolkit?

The Soft Robotics Toolkit is a collection of shared resources to support the design, fabrication, modeling, characterization, and control of soft robotic devices. The toolkit was developed as part of educational research being undertaken in the Harvard Biodesign Lab. The ultimate aim of the toolkit is to advance the field of soft robotics by allowing designers and researchers to build upon each other's work. The toolkit includes an open source fluidic control board, detailed design documentation describing a wide range of soft robotic components (including actuators and sensors), and related files that can be downloaded and used in the design, manufacture, and operation of soft robots. In combination with low material costs and increasingly accessible rapid prototyping technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC mills, the toolkit enables soft robotic components to be produced easily and affordably.

[Nink]

EAP's are going to be a major area for innovation in power generation.  Example here is a patent that uses compute nodes in the ocean tied together with EAP's to power a water based data center. The compute nodes are tied together with EAP's and the wave action uses the EAP's to generate power, while the ocean water keeps the compute nodes cool. To much wave activity and the power is used to turn the EAP's from being flexible power generators into muscles that stiffen the links between compute nodes to prevent to much power being generated.

http://www.patentsencyclopedia.com/app/20150194813

[DreamThinkBuild]

Hi Nink,

Thanks for the link.

DEGs are interesting, now imagine this for super capacitors where a small oscillator can build charge through parametric shape change of the plates.

PolyWEC EU Project - Dielectric Elastomers Generators: How does it work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62JQ3DPJ9ek