Kim Yong Il, An Seongpil, Yarin Alexander L, Yoon Sam S
School of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Department of Nano Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, Republic of Korea.
Soft Robot. 2021 Dec;8(6):711-719. doi: 10.1089/soro.2020.0044. Epub 2020 Oct 29.
To improve performance of thermopneumatic soft actuators, which have recently been developed for various industrial applications, we embedded different nanoscale materials into their elastomer bodies. This yields a significant enhancement in the actuator performance via improving the mechanical and thermal properties of the elastomer bodies. In addition, the use of nanoinclusions diminished losses of the working fluid from the actuators by decreasing vapor leaks through the elastomer body and thus improving longevity. Notably, when using different working fluids with low boiling temperatures, the operating temperature range of the actuators can be lowered and widened. The hybrid approach proposed in this study is expected to advance the industrial feasibility of thermopneumatic actuators.
为了提高热气动软致动器的性能（热气动软致动器最近已开发用于各种工业应用），我们将不同的纳米级材料嵌入其弹性体中。这通过改善弹性体的机械和热性能，显著提高了致动器的性能。此外，纳米夹杂物的使用通过减少工作流体通过弹性体的蒸汽泄漏，从而提高了寿命，减少了致动器中工作流体的损失。值得注意的是，当使用具有低沸点温度的不同工作流体时，致动器的工作温度范围可以降低和拓宽。本研究中提出的混合方法有望提高热气动致动器的工业可行性。
