DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Fluidic actuator system and method

Abstract

A pneumatically actuated solar panel array system that includes a plurality of separate actuator assemblies that each have a top plate and bottom plate and a first and second bellows that each extend between and are coupled to the top and bottom plates at a respective top head and bottom head, the first and second bellows being configured to be separately pneumatically inflated, where the pneumatic inflation expands the bellows along a length. The pneumatically actuated solar panel array system can also include a plurality of solar panels coupled to the actuator assemblies with the solar panels being configured to be actuated based on inflation of one or more bellows associated with the plurality of actuator assembles.

Inventors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sunfolding, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
OSTI Identifier:
1637816
Patent Number(s):
10601366
Application Number:
16/134,844
Assignee:
Sunfolding, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F15 - FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS F15B - SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL
H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
DOE Contract Number:  
AR0000330
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 09/18/2018
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats

Madrone, Leila Marcia, Betts, Kyle Douglas, Lynn, Peter Sturt, Basel, Louis Hong, Ridley, Brent, Griffith, Saul Thomas, McBride, James Dylan, Lamb, Jeffrey, Suan, Eric Preston Lien, Lin, Erica, Erickson, Joshua, and Romanin, Vincent Domenic. Fluidic actuator system and method. United States: N. p., 2020. Web.
Madrone, Leila Marcia, Betts, Kyle Douglas, Lynn, Peter Sturt, Basel, Louis Hong, Ridley, Brent, Griffith, Saul Thomas, McBride, James Dylan, Lamb, Jeffrey, Suan, Eric Preston Lien, Lin, Erica, Erickson, Joshua, & Romanin, Vincent Domenic. Fluidic actuator system and method. United States.
Madrone, Leila Marcia, Betts, Kyle Douglas, Lynn, Peter Sturt, Basel, Louis Hong, Ridley, Brent, Griffith, Saul Thomas, McBride, James Dylan, Lamb, Jeffrey, Suan, Eric Preston Lien, Lin, Erica, Erickson, Joshua, and Romanin, Vincent Domenic. Tue . "Fluidic actuator system and method". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1637816.
@article{osti_1637816,
title = {Fluidic actuator system and method},
author = {Madrone, Leila Marcia and Betts, Kyle Douglas and Lynn, Peter Sturt and Basel, Louis Hong and Ridley, Brent and Griffith, Saul Thomas and McBride, James Dylan and Lamb, Jeffrey and Suan, Eric Preston Lien and Lin, Erica and Erickson, Joshua and Romanin, Vincent Domenic},
abstractNote = {A pneumatically actuated solar panel array system that includes a plurality of separate actuator assemblies that each have a top plate and bottom plate and a first and second bellows that each extend between and are coupled to the top and bottom plates at a respective top head and bottom head, the first and second bellows being configured to be separately pneumatically inflated, where the pneumatic inflation expands the bellows along a length. The pneumatically actuated solar panel array system can also include a plurality of solar panels coupled to the actuator assemblies with the solar panels being configured to be actuated based on inflation of one or more bellows associated with the plurality of actuator assembles.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Strain Amplification Devices and Methods
patent-application, May 2009


Method of Fabricating Multiple-Ply Bellows
patent, April 1974


Flexible arm, particularly a robot arm
patent, January 1985


Heliostat assembly
patent, July 1984


Solar Panel System and Methods of Passive Tracking
patent-application, November 2012


Flexible manipulator
patent, October 1998


Method for mass producing solar radiation reflectors
patent, January 1986


Bellows actuator
patent, January 1993


Robotic arm systems
patent, September 1990


Actuators for simulating muscle activity in robotics
patent, December 1997


Axially contractable actuator
patent, July 1990


Pneumatic actuator
patent, February 2008


Solar concentrator array with grouped adjustable elements
patent-application, February 2005


Solar energy collector
patent, November 1979


Solar collector structure
patent, January 1980


System for the utilization of solar energy
patent, August 1982


Multi-Axis Metamorphic Actuator and Drive System and Method
patent-application, May 2011


Servo tracking apparatus
patent, December 1977


Flexible Beam Structures
patent, November 1966


Fluidic solar actuator
patent, April 2017


Pneumatic drive for solar concentrators
patent, January 1984


Fluid-operated manipulator
patent, October 2014


Thermoplastic jounce bumpers
patent, February 2014


Shear flexibility for structures
patent, May 1976


Tracking solar shelter
patent, May 2009


Pressurizable structures comprising different surface sections
patent-application, March 2006


Solar Panel Unit
patent-application, September 2013


Cranked Rod Pump Apparatus And Method
patent-application, April 2009


Rotating solar concentrator
patent, May 2003


Operating mechanism
patent, January 2001


Reinforced Bellows
patent, January 1960


Bellows actuator
patent, August 1984


Motor control center subunit having movable line contacts and method of manufacture
patent, November 2012


Articulated arm
patent, March 2018


Mirror for motor vehicles
patent, September 1988


Flexidigit robotic manipulator
patent, July 1989


Robot arm structure
patent, February 1990


Fluid-Operated Manipulator
patent-application, August 2012


Control Systems and Methods for Estimating Engine Coolant Heat Loss
patent-application, May 2010


Servo Pressure Transducer
patent, August 1971


Worm-like mechanism
patent, June 2012


Fluid actuators
patent, August 1991


Lightweight solar panel support
patent, May 1989


Turning collectors for solar radiation
patent, September 1976


Antenna with positionable reflector
patent, June 1991