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Compact, Efficient and Controllable Moving Iron Actuation Chain for Industrial Application
7 January 2016
In the field of aeronautics, some parts of aircraft engines are tricky and costly to manufacture. In the low pressure turbine very thin pieces obtained by turning require a complex support. The R&D work performed here aims at improving the manufacturing process through the reduction of vibrations and active modification of the clamping conditions. For that purpose, Cedrat Technologies has designed a new innovative Moving Iron Controllable Actuator (MICA), which is embedded on the work-piece support. In the first part, the application goals and the main particularities of the developed MICA200M magnetic actuator are presented. To be easily driven in closed loop, the force is designed to be linear with the current and independent from the interface position. The MICA200M stroke is ±2.5mm and its force constant reaches 11.6N/A for a current range of ±15A
in steady state. The nominal force of 174N for only 1 dm3 size and 3.2kg facilitates the integration and allows acceleration up to 132G in transient operation thanks to reduced 0.25kg mobile mass. In the second part, results of complete experimental characterisation are detailed. Finally, a comparison analysis is done with COTS voice coil actuators and the article concludes with the benefits of the MICA200M.
Mechanically amplified piezo tunable3D microwave superconducting
6 January 2016
In the context of hybrid quantum systems, there is a demand for superconducting tunable devices able to operate in the single-photon regime. In this work, we developed a 3D microwave reentrant cavity with such characteristics ready to provide a very fine-tuning of a high-Q resonant mode over a large dynamic range. This system has an electronic tuning mechanism based on a mechanically amplified piezoelectric actuator, which can set the cavity resonance with a large dynamic range of order 1 GHz at 10 mK. At elevated microwave power, nonlinear thermal effects were observed to destroy the superconductivity of the cavity due to the large electric fields generated in the small gap of the reentrant cavity.
Design and tests of a demonstrator for filet compensation mechanism
5 January 2016
Future matrix sensors will acquire an area on ground and are then susceptible to image shift due to satellite movement during acquisition. Design, Build and Test a breadboard mechanism that could shift telescope line of sight and freeze observed area during image acquisition.
Space Tribometers: Design for Exposed Experiments on Orbit
12 March 2012
Eight pin-on-disk tribometers have been made for testing materials in space on board the International Space Station. They will be exposed directly to the low earth orbit (LEO) environment on board the ‘‘Materials on the International Space Station Experiments’’ platform where they will experience extreme conditions including atomic oxygen, ultrahigh vacuum, radiation (including UV radiation), and thermal ranges from -40 to 60 C.
Manufacture and properties of first industrial actuators APA® using carbon epoxy SHELLS
12 February 2012
Future aeronautics will more often use electrical actuators in order to replace hydraulic actuators. Existing Amplified Piezo Actuators APA® with steel shell, delivering among the highest mass energy densities, are good candidates. Lighter carbon shells are developed to further increase their efficiency. For helicopters rotor blade application this evolution is almost unavoidable but is also very interesting for other domains. High modulus and high tensile strength carbon fibres shells have been produced by conventional filament winding, tested and compared.
BRUCE – Electromagnetic Actuated Pin Puller
12 January 2012
Pin pullers are used to hold, lock or secure deployable or moving parts on spacecrafts during their launching. These ‘one shot’ actuators used to be based on explosive charges. Pin pullers important characteristics are their retraction force that needs to be sufficient to pull the pin out of the locking mechanism, their maximum radial force, which limits the size of the secured system, and their dimensions and weight. The possibility of resetting the mechanism is also an appreciated advantage. Upon request of CNES, the French National Space Agency, CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES has designed a resettable electromagnetic actuated pin puller, called BRUCE
