A Monopropellant-Powered Actuator for the Development of a Lower Limb Exoskeleton
Abstract
The objective of the proposed work is to develop and demonstrate an actuation system that provides direct chemical to mechanical energy conversion from an energy source that is approximately an order of magnitude more energy dense and power dense than the best commercially available lithium-thionyl-chloride or lithium-manganese-dioxide electrochemical batteries. Specifically, the proposed system utilizes the monopropellant hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to maintain a high-pressure pneumatic reservoir, which is in turn utilized as a controllable power source for a system of pneumatic actuators. A key attribute of the proposed system is its simplicity. The monopropellant produces a low temperature reaction that generates completely benign byproducts. Additionally, the use of pneumatic actuators produces a lightweight system that is well impedance-matched to a human operator. The one-year feasibility study will develop and demonstrate the monopropellant-powered actuator.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 19, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA413914
Entities
People
- Michael Goldfarb
Organizations
- Vanderbilt University