Arrangement and system for mechanically changing a surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220328-B2
Application number	US-202016780436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 4, 2019
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

An arrangement for mechanically changing a surface includes an insulating layer, a pair of electrodes, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer, and a piezo element, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer. The piezo element is separated from the pair of electrodes by the insulating layer. The pair of electrodes is designed to generate in a region of the piezo element an electric field, which causes the piezo element to carry out a mechanical change of shape, in order in this way to mechanically change a surface of the arrangement. The pair of electrodes is also designed to generate the electric field such that the electric field has a minimum field strength in a surrounding area of the arrangement, in order in this way to generate a plasma in the surrounding area of the arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle comprising an arrangement for mechanically changing a surface, the arrangement comprising:
an insulating layer;
pairs of electrodes on or in the insulating layer; and
a piezo element on or in the insulating layer;
wherein the piezo element is separated from the pairs of electrodes by the insulating layer;
wherein the pairs of electrodes are configured to generate in locally different regions of the piezo element in each case an electric field, which causes the piezo element to perform different mechanical changes of shape in the locally different regions of the piezo element to mechanically change a surface of the arrangement; and
wherein the pairs of electrodes are configured to generate the electric field such that the electric field has a minimum field strength in a surrounding area of the arrangement to generate a plasma in the surrounding area of the arrangement.

2. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the piezo element is arranged in or on the insulating layer such that the mechanical change of shape of the piezo element takes place in response to an exclusive excitation by the electric field generated by the pairs of electrodes.

3. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the piezo element is electrically insulated within the arrangement.

4. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the pairs of electrodes are arranged with respect to the piezo element such that the generated electric field in the region of the piezo element has a field strength that does not exceed a maximum field strength.

5. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising a control unit configured to set a voltage or a voltage frequency for the pairs of electrodes to vary a degree of ionization of the generated plasma in the surrounding area of the arrangement and/or vary the mechanical change of shape performed by the piezo element.

6. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of piezo elements;
wherein the pairs of electrodes are configured to generate in the region of the plurality of piezo elements an electric field that causes the plurality of piezo elements to perform in each case different mechanical changes of shape to mechanically change a surface of the arrangement.

7. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the piezo element is integrated in a film.

8. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising an electrical conductor track, which is electrically connected to the pairs of electrodes to establish an electrical connection between the pairs of electrodes and a separate voltage source.

9. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein respective distances between the pairs of electrodes and the piezo element are variable with respect to a direction perpendicular to the surface between different regions of the piezo element.

10. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the piezo element is in a form of a layer or sheet that keeps the insulating layer at a distance from the bearing surface and is shaped such that the distance between the insulating layer and a bearing surface of the arrangement is variable with respect to a direction perpendicular to the surface.

11. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer comprises a permittivity that changes, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the arrangement, from the surface towards the piezo element.

12. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising a component structure mechanically connected to the arrangement.

13. The aerial vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the component structure comprises a material with anisotropic mechanical properties, a fiber composite material, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic or a material composite of these materials.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Storm Stefan
• Friedberger Alois
• Caspari Ralf

Classifications

• F15D1/10

  around bodies of solid material · CPC title

• B64D15/163 Primary

  using electro-impulsive devices · CPC title

• B64C23/005 Primary

  by other means not covered by groups B64C23/02 - B64C23/08, e.g. by electric charges, magnetic panels, piezoelectric elements, static charges or ultrasounds · CPC title

• B64D15/16

  by mechanical means, e.g. pulsating mats or shoes attached to, or built into, surface · CPC title

• B64C23/04

  by generating shock waves · CPC title