Hydraulic pump with solid-state actuator

Abstract

A hydraulic pump includes a port and a piston assembly fluidically coupled to the port. The piston assembly includes a piston and a solid-state actuator, where a shape change of the solid-state actuator is induced when a field is applied to the solid-state actuator, and where alternating shape changes of the solid-state actuator provide reciprocating movement to the piston.

1 . A hydraulic pump comprising:
 a port;   a piston assembly fluidically coupled to the port, wherein the piston assembly comprises:
 a piston; and 
   a solid-state actuator, wherein a shape change of the solid-state actuator is induced when a field is applied to the solid-state actuator, and wherein alternating shape changes of the solid-state actuator provide reciprocating movement to the piston.   
     
     
         2 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the field is a magnetic field. 
     
     
         3 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the field is an electric field. 
     
     
         4 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the port comprises an inlet or an outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the solid-state actuator comprises one or both of a magnetostrictive material and a piezoelectric material. 
     
     
         6 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the piston assembly further comprises:
 a coil disposed about the solid-state actuator to apply the field to the solid-state actuator.   
     
     
         7 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , further comprising an inlet valve and an outlet valve to rectify fluid flow through the port. 
     
     
         8 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , further comprising an inlet valve and an outlet valve fluidically coupled to the piston to facilitate a steady flow passage. 
     
     
         9 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the solid-state actuator comprises a stack of plates connected in parallel, wherein the plates comprise piezoelectric material or magnetostrictive material. 
     
     
         10 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the piston assembly is part of an arrangement of piston assemblies to be driven together. 
     
     
         11 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 10 , wherein the arrangement of piston assemblies is to be driven in parallel. 
     
     
         12 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 10 , wherein the arrangement of piston assemblies is to be driven in series. 
     
     
         13 . The hydraulic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the piston assembly further comprises a seal disposed between the piston and a cylinder to allow the piston to sealingly reciprocate within the cylinder. 
     
     
         14 . A method of pumping fluid with a hydraulic pump comprising a solid-state actuator, the method comprising:
 providing a hydraulic pump comprising:
 a port; and 
 a piston assembly fluidically coupled to the port, wherein the piston assembly comprises:
 a piston; and 
 a solid-state actuator, wherein a shape change of the solid-state actuator is induced when a field is applied to the solid-state actuator, and wherein alternating shape changes of the solid-state actuator provide reciprocating movement to the piston; 
 
   applying a varying field to the solid-state actuator to induce the series of shape changes of the solid-state actuator and provide the reciprocating movement to the piston; and   displacing at least a portion of a fluid through the port.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 fluidically coupling the hydraulic pump to a radiator to receive pumped fluid from the hydraulic pump, wherein the radiator transfers heat from the pumped fluid to an exterior area adjacent to the radiator.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 fluidically coupling the hydraulic pump to a closed-loop conduit assembly, wherein at least a portion of the closed-loop conduit assembly is proximate to a heat source.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the field is a magnetic field. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the field is an electric field. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the solid-state actuator comprises a magnetostrictive material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the solid-state actuator comprises a piezoelectric material.