Electrostatic film actuator with a large vertical displacement

A microvalve actuator driven by electrostatic force and suitable for a rarefied gas flow control system is proposed. The actuator consists of a pair of planar electrodes sandwiching a conductive film. The film has an S-shaped bend in the middle. The S-bend moves back and forth as voltage is applied between the film and each of the electrodes alternately. The actuator makes possible the large valve seat lift that is necessary to allow a certain amount of gas flow. A macro model of the actuator allowed investigation of motion in the system. A film 5- mu m thick and 12 mm wide was successfully operated between electrodes separated by 2.5 mm. The observed propagation speed was 4.0 m/s when the applied voltage was 150 V.<
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