Design of a high-speed-force-stroke thermomechanical micro-actuator via geometric contouring and mechanical frequency multiplication

The aims of this research were to understand (1) why marked performance improvements are observed when one contours the geometry of micro-thermomechanical actuators (pTMAs), (2) how to parametrically model and optimize these improvements, (3) how to use transient electrical command signals to augment these improvements, and (4) how to design arrayed pairs of actuator teams that enable the realization of these improvements within small-scale precision machines. This work has extended the performance envelope of small-scale electromechanical systems to cover the needs of emerging positioning applications that were previously impractical. The results are important to, for example, small-scale machines that are increasingly needed within biological imaging equipment, equipment for nanomanufacturing, and instruments for nano-scale research. These positioning systems must be of small geometric scale in order to achieve viable bandwidth (kHz), resolution (nanometers), cost ($10s/device) and stability (A/min) levels. Miniaturized machines require small-scale actuators, but unfortunately, state-of-the-art actuators are not capable of simultaneously satisfying the force (~10OmN), stroke (~100pLm) and bandwidth (-lkHz) requirements of the preceding applications. In the absence of a practical actuation technology, many small-scale devices were relegated to "demo" status, and they never realized the full promise that small-scale machines could deliver for the preceding applications. This work has generated two concepts - geometric contouring and mechanical frequency multiplication that make jtTMAs behave in a manner that is very different from how they have acted in the past: (1) Geometric contouring:

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Chen, Shih-Chi, 1977-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Martin L. Culpepper.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42919

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/42919