Micro Actuators by Making Use of Jet Flows Due to Electro-Conjugate Fluid.

Actuators are one of important electromechanical components in order to establish functional mechatronics systems. Particularly, in micro systems like pipe traveling micro machines, it is required to develop powerful micro actuators for realizing practical applications. Fluid power system has a potential to develop active and functional components in the field of micro machines. From the view point of the powerful micro actuators for advanced micro fluid control systems, we have developed advanced fluid control elements like micro valves, micro motors and micro pumps are developed by using functional fluids like ERF, MRF and ECF in our laboratory. These functional components developed in our laboratory, particularly ECF applications, are briefly reported. An electro-conjugate fluid (ECF) is a kind of dielectric fluid, which works as a functional fluid. The fluid generates a powerful jet flow, which we call an ECF jet, when applied to high DC voltage with a highly nonuniform electric field. In other words, the ECF-jet utilizes as a fluid power source for mechanical components without any sizable pumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]