Abstract: A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises making a piezoelectric fiber sheet by providing a plurality of wafers of piezoelectric material, bonding the wafers together with an adhesive material to form a stack of alternating layers of piezoelectric material and adhesive material, and cutting through the stack in a direction substantially parallel to the thickness of the stack and across the alternating layers of piezoelectric material and adhesive material to provide at least one piezoelectric fiber sheet having two sides comprising a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition to the adhesive material. The method further comprises bonding two electrically conductive films to the two sides of the piezoelectric fiber sheet. At least one conductive film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezoelectric fiber sheet.

Abstract: A method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed. The prestress layer may include reinforcing material and the ferroelectric wafer may include electrodes or electrode layers may be placed on either side of the ferroelectric layer. Wafers produced using this method have greatly improved output motion.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises providing a piezoelectric material that has two sides and attaching one side upon an adhesive backing sheet. The method further comprises slicing the piezoelectric material to provide a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition. A conductive film is then adhesively bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material, and the adhesive backing sheet is removed. The conductive film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material. The first and second conductive patterns of the conductive film each have a plurality of electrodes to form a pattern of interdigitated electrodes. A second film is then bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material. The second film may have a pair of conductive patterns similar to the conductive patterns of the first film.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises providing a piezo-electric material which has a first side and a second side. The method further comprises cutting the piezoelectric material to provide a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition. Two electrically conductive films are then adhesively bonded to the two sides of the piezo-electric material. The first film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezo-electric material. In one embodiment, the second film does not have any conductive patterns. The first and second conductive patterns of the first film each have a plurality of electrodes to form a pattern of interdigitated electrodes. In another embodiment, the second film has a pair of conductive patterns similar to the conductive patterns of the first film.

Abstract: A ferroelectric pump has one or more variable volume pumping chambers internal to a housing. Each chamber has at least one wall comprising a dome shaped internally prestressed ferroelectric actuator having a curvature and a dome height that varies with an electric voltage applied between an inside and outside surface of the actuator. A pumped medium flows into and out of each pumping chamber in response to displacement of the ferroelectric actuator. The ferroelectric actuator is mounted within each wall and isolates each ferroelectric actuator from the pumped medium, supplies a path for voltage to be applied to each ferroelectric actuator, and provides for positive containment of each ferroelectric actuator while allowing displacement of the entirety of each ferroelectric actuator in response to the applied voltage.

Abstract: An active valve is controlled and driven by external electrical actuation of a ferroelectric actuator to provide for improved passage of the fluid during certain time periods and to provide positive closure of the valve during other time periods. The valve provides improved passage in the direction of flow and positive closure in the direction against the flow. The actuator is a dome shaped internally prestressed ferroelectric actuator having a curvature, said dome shaped actuator having a rim and an apex, and a dome height measured from a plane through said rim said apex that varies with an electric voltage applied between an inside and an outside surface of said dome shaped actuator.

Abstract: A Stirling-cycle refrigerator has a three-pump configuration and pumping sequence, in which one pump serves as a compressor, one pump serves as an expander, and one pump serves as a displacer. The pumps are ferroelectrically actuated diaphragm pumps which are coordinated by synchronizing the ferroelectric-actuator voltages in such a way that the net effect of the displacer is to reduce the deleterious effect of dead space; that is, to circulate a greater fraction of the working fluid through the heat exchangers than would be possible by use of the compressor and expander alone. In addition, the displacer can be controlled separately to make the flow of working fluid in the heat exchangers turbulent (to increase the rate of transfer of heat at the cost of greater resistance to flow) or laminar (to decrease the resistance to flow at the cost of a lower heat-transfer rate).

Abstract: A digital mammography device uses a mosaic of electronic digital imaging arrays to scan an x-ray image. The mosaic of arrays is repositioned several times to expose different portions of the image, until the entire image is scanned. The data generated by the arrays during each exposure is stored in a computer. After the final exposure, the computer combines data of the several partial images to produce a composite of the original x-ray image. An aperture plate is used to reduce scatter and the overall exposure of the patient to x-rays.

Abstract: A piezoelectric loudspeaker suitable for midrange frequencies uses a dome shaped piezoelectric actuator to drive a speaker membrane directly. The dome shaped actuator is made from a reduced and internally biased oxygen wafer, and generates excursion of the apex of the dome in the order of 0.02-0.05 inches when a rated drive voltage of 350 V rms is applied between the convex and the concave surfaces of the dome shaped actuator. The load capacity exceeds 10 lbs. The edge of the rim of the dome shaped actuator must be free to rock when the dome height varies to ensure low distortion in the loudspeaker. This is achieved by mounting the rim of the dome shaped actuator on a support surface by prestress only. An exceptionally simple design uses a planar speaker membrane with the center part of one side pressed against the rim of a dome shaped actuator by prestress from a stretched latex surround member.

Abstract: A thermal compensating mount 10 is provided for an alignment sensitive component 12. Thermal compensating 10 mount comprises a cylindrical extension 14 which is formed integral to and has the same coefficient of thermal expansion as alignment sensitive component 12. A cylindrical receptacle 20 is formed into mounting surface 18. Cylindrical extension 14 secured within cylindrical receptacle 20 that surrounds the cylindrical extension. The difference between the diameter of cylindrical extension 14 and cylindrical receptacle 20 is such that the differential thermal expansion across cylindrical extension 14 and the edges of cylindrical receptacle 20 is exactly compensated for by the thermal expansion of the surrounding adhesive 16.