Project Title:

A Magnetostrictive Water Pump for Use in Extra-Vehicular Activity

92-1-12.11-0540                                                   NAS09-18852
A Magnetostrictive Water Pump for Use in 
     Extra-Vehicular Activity
Satcon Technology Corporation
12 Emily Street
Cambridge, MA  02139-4507
Michael J. Gerver                                    (617-661-0540)

Abstract:

     The firm will test a new concept for a water pump using a
magnetostrictive actuator which has a stroke of 100 æm at 490
newtons. The actuator will periodically push against the diaphragm
of a water reservoir about 70 cm2 in area, connected via input and
output valves to a water line, pumping against a pressure of 5
psi. A frequency of 100 Hz adequate to achieve the desired flow
rate of 100 kg/hr, and the mechanical power will be comparable to
or greater than the resistive loss in the actuator coil, the
inertia loss, and the valve loss. A frequency of 100 Hz noise
could be greatly reduced by using two reservoirs that are 180ø out
of phase. This design has essentially no moving parts except for
the valves, so it should be more reliable than conventional pumps.
Magnetostrictives are superior to piezoelectrics for this purpose
because they use much lower voltage, do not age, and have somewhat
greater maximum stroke. The objectives of Phase I are to
demonstrate the principle with an inexpensive test and to optimize
the design for a fully packaged prototype to be built in Phase II.

Potential Commercial Application:

Potential Commercial Applications:  Potential uses are in
cryogenic pumps or any pump where reliability or durability is
critical, and in the replacement of hydraulic actuators (e.g. on
aircraft) with hybrid electric-hydraulic actuators.

                                     ***