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New actuators for space and aircraft applications
19 June 2023
Novel actuation systems are driver of product innovation in aerospace industry. In aircraft industry EHA technology has been recently introduced illustrating the stream of innovation directed on improving performance, reliability as well as economy. On the far side there is the radical concept of a morphing wing which offers optimizing the aerodynamics of an aircraft considerably by shape control. Rotor Active Control utilizing piezo actuation has been proofed to be very successful for vibration and noise reduction in helicopter flight test inspiring confidence in smart structure technology.
New Design of High Switching Power Amplifier for driving Piezoelectric Actuators in aeronautic applications
19 June 2023
Nowadays, piezoelectric actuators (PA) are used in fast power actuations and high power applications as requested in machine tools or helicopters flap applications. Regarding to the low power capability and high loss ratios of linear amplifiers, Switching Power Amplifiers (SA75X) is designed by Cedrat Technologies to drive piezoelectric actuators in such applications. The switching technique (up to 100 kHz) allows high current peaks required by impulse or by high frequency applications on large piezoelectric actuators (or actuators in parallel) and allows energy harvesting.
New developments in piezo actuators: Long stroke actuators and high power electronics
19 June 2023
In many cases piezoelectric actuators reach limitations in terms of maximum displacement and cycling frequency. Most amplified actuator technologies struggle to go over the millimeter of stroke. Furthermore certain closed-loop applications demand stroke measurement integrated into the actuator. While few amplifiers on the market can offer 20Amps current over a few 100ms, development of high power supply units runs parallel with actuator improvements. However with the introduction of high power supplies comes the problem of self-heating of the piezo ceramic. Finally extreme environmental conditions in terms of harsh conditions and high temperatures need to be addressed in order to open these markets for piezo actuators. Cedrat Technologies has been heavily investigating in solutions to overcome all of these drawbacks and these solutions are
presented here.
New Paradigm in control of machining system’s dynamics
19 June 2023
Complex mechanical components machined with zero defects are an essential condition in precision manufacturing and it becomes a new challenge for the next generation intelligent machining systems. Improved precision and accuracy of machines, processes and components offers substantial benefits to a wide range of applications from ultra-precision to mass customization with higher quality and better reliability. Within this context, this paper identifies critical problems that limit the performance of the machining system and address them by advancing novel solutions.
New piezo motor for thermal vacuum environments
19 June 2023
CTEC and F4E have improved and pre-qualified a MSPA piezo motor, based on a secret material and able to operate in vacuum,, non-magnetic or high temperature and sustain radiations. Its high reliability, precision and operating lifetime makes this new piezo motor perfectly suitable for space, healthcare and nuclear applications.
Non-invasive Measurement of Vitreous Humor Stiffness in the Mouse using MR Elastography
19 June 2023
In vivo, non-invasive measurements of the stiffness (elastic modulus) of biological tissue can be performed with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). Many studies have illustrated the versatility of MRE; stiffness estimates have been obtained from liver, muscle, breast, brain and heart. Tissue health or disease is often indicated by its stiffness. In many cases tissue health is determined through invasive biopsy, which can subject the patient to discomfort and various risks. Non-invasive procedures, such as palpation, are qualitative, suffer from patient-to-patient variability, and are impossible in deep tissue. Furthermore, these measurements often only provide results in localized regions. However, with the continued development of MRE equipment and protocols, regional non-invasive measures of stiffness are becoming feasible in most soft tissues. In this study we demonstrate the measurement of loss and storage modulus of vitreous humor of the mouse eye using MR elastography non-invasively, in vivo.
