Ning Dayong, Li Zihao, Liang Gangda, Wang Qibo, Zou Weifeng, Gong Yongjun, Hou Jiaoyi
National Center for International Research of Subsea Engineering Technology and Equipment, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China.
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Micromachines (Basel). 2021 Apr 9;12(4):415. doi: 10.3390/mi12040415.
Considering the further exploration of the ocean, the requirements for deep-sea operation equipment have increased. Many problems existing in the widely used deep-sea hydraulic system have become increasingly prominent. Compared with the traditional deep-sea hydraulic system, actuators using a paraffin phase change material (PCM) have incomparable advantages, including lightweight structure, low energy consumption, high adaptability to the deep sea, and good biocompatibility. Thus, a deep-sea drive microunit (DDM) based on paraffin PCM is proposed in this paper. The device adopts a flexible shell, adapting to the high-pressure environment of the deep-sea based on the principle of pressure compensation. The device realizes the output of displacement and force through the electrothermal drive, which can be used as actuator or power source of other underwater operation equipment. The microunit successfully completes the functional verification experiments in air, shallow water, and hydrostatic pressure of 110 MPa. In accordance with experimental results, a reasonable control curve is fitted, highlighting its potential application in deep-sea micro electro mechanical systems, especially in underwater soft robot.
考虑到对海洋的进一步探索，对深海作业设备的要求有所提高。广泛使用的深海液压系统中存在的许多问题日益突出。与传统的深海液压系统相比，使用石蜡相变材料（PCM）的执行器具有无可比拟的优势，包括结构轻巧、能耗低、对深海的适应性强以及良好的生物相容性。因此，本文提出了一种基于石蜡PCM的深海驱动微单元（DDM）。该装置采用柔性外壳，基于压力补偿原理适应深海的高压环境。该装置通过电热驱动实现位移和力的输出，可用作其他水下作业设备的执行器或动力源。该微单元在空气、浅水和110 MPa静水压力下成功完成了功能验证实验。根据实验结果，拟合出合理的控制曲线，突出了其在深海微机电系统，特别是水下软机器人中的潜在应用。
