Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04D33/00—Non-positive-displacement pumps with other than pure rotation, e.g. of oscillating type

Definitions

• the present invention is a revolutionary solid state blower of the -undulating blade type which is extremely efficient, inexpensive to manufacture, and designed for a long service life.
• the piezo-electric bilaminate is a strip consisting of two layers of piezo-electric ceramic, polarized in opposite directions, which on their facing sides are separated by a conducting layer and which on their outside faces are surrounded by conducting layers.
• the two outside conducting layers are connected as electrodes to a controlled alternating current supply. Since the piezo-electric layers have opposite polarity, voltage applied across the bilaminate strip induces bending of the element. Accordingly, alternating voltage across the piezo-electric element will drive the blade back and forth at the point of attachment.
• the blade material, resiliency, taper, and width are preferably selected to tune the impeller to the oscillating frequency of the drive arrangement to result in stable and efficient operation.
• a piezo-electric element suitable for use in the present invention is marketed by Gulton Industries, Inc., Piezo Products Division, Metuchen, N.J., under the name "Piezo Ceramic Bender Element", No. G1195.
• Each bi ⁇ laminate strip 28 (Fig. 2) has two layers of piezo- electric ceramic 29 separated by a layer of conducting material 30, e.g. brass.
• the outside layers 32, 34 are silver, and connected to the leads 36, 38 of a controlled alternating current supply 39.
• the two ceramic layers 29 are polarized in opposite directions, so that voltage across the bilaminate induces a bending motion in the strip.
• bilaminate strip 28 Since the bilaminate strip 28 is fixed on the housing at 41, controlled alternating voltage, therefore, causes the free end 42 of the piezo-electric element 28 to move back and forth at the voltage frequency. The bending movement of the bilaminates 28, in turn, drives the blades 18 back and forth at the point of attachment 42 at a controlled rate.
• connections from the piezo-electric elements 28 to the power supply 39 are conveniently made at the end 40, beneath the holder 41.
• the driving force (F) is applied at a single point, and with a selected frequency range ' depending, e.g., upon the blade material, taper, and resiliency and thus the blade resonant frequency, such that the blade undergoes both lateral displacement and bending at the point of applied force.
• the driving force F on the blade produces the successive blade shapes shown in Figs. 3a-3f and directions of air motion (A) indicated by arrows, as described below.
• the device is very efficient, and in tests, operation has been very stable, with efficiency so high that rises in temperature of the bilaminates have been virtually undetectable.
• the member 141 is provided with a pair of vertical slots 142, each of which is sized to snugly receive the end of the bilaminate 128 and a pair of electrically conductive contact leaves 144, one on either side of the bilaminate. Conductors, not shown, are connected to the leaves for coupling to the alternat ⁇ ing voltage supply.
• the free ends of the bilaminates 128 are attached to coupler weights 150, which in turn support the resilient blades 118.
• the weights 150 have vertical slots along their narrow edges for snugly engaging the bilaminates and blades, respectively. As shown in Fig. " 4, the blades preferably are substantially wider than the bilaminates, to maximize air flow.
• the blower works very efficiently in pumping fluids, especially air, without the need for blade valving action.
• the two bilaminates are driven to opposing phase relationship, as in the Fig. 1 embodiment.
• both Figs. 1 and 4 can provide effective air movement with a single oscillat- ing blade.
• the blade may be driven at two or more points along its length, in which case the resonant frequency and driving frequency become less of a factor in determining efficiency. All such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
• Electromagnetic Pumps, Or The Like (AREA)
• Reciprocating Pumps (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26713528

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (14)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1980
  • 1980-05-06 JP JP55501259A patent/JPS6315480B2/ja not_active Expired
  • 1980-05-06 WO PCT/US1980/000534 patent/WO1980002445A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1980-05-06 DE DE8080901052T patent/DE3067101D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1980-11-17 EP EP80901052A patent/EP0028245B1/en not_active Expired

Patent Citations (6)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events