Claims
- 1. An actuator assembly, comprising:
a nonconductive housing having an exterior surface wall and first and second interior recessed portions, wherein said first and second interior portions are separated by a porous member; a conductive polymer disposed in and filling said first recessed portion, said conductive polymer doped with an electrolyte solution comprising solvent coordinated anions; a quantity of said electrolyte solution filling said second recessed portion; flexible means for covering and sealing said first and second recessed portions; and means for applying an electric potential across said top and bottom surface of said conductive polymer, wherein applying a voltage potential to said electrodes causes said solvent coordinated anions to migrate through said porous member and into said conductive polymer thereby causing said conductive polymer to increase in volume and cause said flexible means covering said conductive polymer to expand outward.
- 2. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein said conductive polymer is a gel.
- 3. The actuator assembly of claim 2, wherein said gel comprises polythiophene-based polymer gel cross-linked with 1,6-bis(2-thienyl)hexane.
- 4. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein said porous member is permeable to said solvent coordinated anions.
- 5. The actuator assembly of claim 4, wherein said porous member comprises a frit.
- 6. The actuator assembly of claim 5, wherein said frit comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a porous glass, a porous polymer, and a porous non-corroding metal.
- 7. The actuator assembly of claim 4, wherein said porous member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz, polyethylene polypropylene, and porous nickel
- 8. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing comprising a material selected form the group consisting of polymers, ceramics, glasses, silicon, and combination thereof.
- 9. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein said polymers are selected form the group consisting polytetrafluoroethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, polysulfones, polycarbonates, polyurethanes, polyimide resins, crystalline homopolymer acetal resins, and combinations thereof.
- 10. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein said glasses are selected form the group consisting moldable or machinable glass, glass-ceramics, and combinations thereof.
- 11. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein said flexible means comprises a thin flexible layer of an elastomeric polymer, wherein said thin flexible layer covers only said first and second interior portions or completely surrounds and encapsulates said housing
- 12. The actuator assembly-of claim 1, wherein said flexible means comprises a thin flexible layer of a silicone conformal coating, a room temperature-vulcanizing polydimethylsiloxane, or a polyimide.
- 13. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein said means for applying further comprises respective first and second porous electrodes attached to said top and bottom surfaces of said conductive polymer, said first and second electrodes having attached lead wires for electrical communication .
- 14. The actuator assembly of claim 13, wherein said means for applying further comprises a battery, a capacitor, or a low voltage power supply attached to said lead wires in communication with said first and second electrodes
- 15. The actuator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plenum having inlet and outlet orifices, said actuator assembly disposed on and sealed to said plenum, said actuator assembly engaging said plenum across an annulus, wherein said annulus large diameter coincides with said housing exterior surface wall.
- 16. A fluid pump, comprising:
an actuator assembly, comprising:
a nonconductive housing having an exterior surface wall and first and second interior recessed portions, wherein said first and second interior portions are separated by a porous member; a conductive polymer disposed in and filling said first recessed portion, said conductive polymer doped with an electrolyte solution comprising solvent coordinated anions; a quantity of said electrolyte solution filling said second recessed portion; flexible means for covering and sealing said first and second recessed portions; and means for applying an electric potential across said top and bottom surface of said conductive polymer, wherein applying a voltage potential to said electrodes causes said solvent coordinated anions to migrate through said porous member and into said conductive polymer thereby causing said conductive polymer to increase in volume and cause said flexible means covering said conductive polymer to expand outward; and a plenum having inlet and outlet orifices and a means for preventing fluid back-flow through said orifices, wherein said actuator assembly is disposed and sealed to said plenum such that said electrolyte reservoir lays over said orifices, said actuator assembly engaging said plenum across an annulus, wherein said annulus large diameter coincides with said housing exterior surface wall.
- 17. The fluid pump according to claim 16, wherein said means for preventing fluid back-flow comprises one-way check valve over or in said inlet and said outlet channels.
- 18. The fluid pump according to claim 16, wherein said check valves comprise hinged flaps.
Government Interests
[0001] The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000 between the United States Department of Energy and Sandia Corporation for the operation of Sandia National Laboratories.