System and method for thermally adaptive materials

Abstract

An adaptive textile that includes a plurality of a first fiber having a first expansion coefficient and a plurality of a second fiber having a second expansion coefficient. There is a difference between the expansion coefficient of the first fiber and the expansion coefficient of the second fiber; at least one of the first or second fibers is a twisted coil actuator; and linear displacement of the twisted coil actuator causes the adaptive textile to bend.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adaptive textile that comprises:
 a plurality of a first fiber having a first expansion coefficient,   a plurality of a second fiber having a second expansion coefficient,
 wherein there is a difference between the first expansion coefficient of the first fiber and the second expansion coefficient of the second fiber; 
 wherein at least one of the first fibers or second fibers is a twisted coil actuator; and 
 wherein linear displacement of the twisted coil actuator causes the adaptive textile to bend; and 
   a plurality of first and second portions along a plane of the adaptive textile,   wherein the first portions are defined by a first pair of opposing first and second materials with the first material on a first side and the second material on a second side; and   wherein the second portions defined by a second pair of opposing first and second materials with the second material on the first side and the first material on the second side.   
     
     
         2 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of first materials define a respective first length at a first temperature, and   wherein the plurality of second materials define a respective second length at the first temperature.   
     
     
         3 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 , wherein at a second temperature, thermal expansion or contraction of the first material along the direction of a first length differs from an amount of thermal expansion or contraction of the second material along the direction of a second length, causing the first and second portions to bend. 
     
     
         4 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first fibers are parallel to each other and alternate between extending along external faces of first and second opposing sides of the adaptive textile. 
     
     
         5 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first fibers are parallel to each other and alternate between external faces of first and second opposing sides of the adaptive textile. 
     
     
         6 . The adaptive textile of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of second fibers are parallel to each other and parallel to the plurality of first fibers, the plurality of second fibers alternating between extending along the external faces of the first and second opposing sides and opposing the plurality of first fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first expansion coefficient and the second expansion coefficient of the first fibers and second fibers is 1000 μm/m/K or more. 
     
     
         8 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 , wherein the effective thickness of the adaptive textile at least doubles in response to a change from a first temperature to a second temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The adaptive textile of  claim 8 , wherein the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is 10° C. or less. 
     
     
         10 . The adaptive textile of  claim 8 , wherein the adaptive textile undergoes a change in area no more than 5% when the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is 10° C. or less. 
     
     
         11 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 , wherein both the plurality of the first fibers and the plurality of the second fibers comprise twisted coil actuators. 
     
     
         12 . The adaptive textile of  claim 1 , comprising two adaptive woven or knit fabric layers and each layer independently has a different bending response to temperature. 
     
     
         13 . An adaptive textile that comprises:
 a plurality of a first fiber having a first expansion coefficient, and   a plurality of a second fiber having a second expansion coefficient,
 wherein there is a difference between the first expansion coefficient of the first fiber and the second expansion coefficient of the second fiber; 
 wherein at least one of the first fibers or second fibers is a twisted coil actuator; and 
 wherein linear displacement of the twisted coil actuator causes the adaptive textile to bend. 
   
     
     
         14 . The adaptive textile of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first fibers are parallel to each other and alternate between extending along external faces of first and second opposing sides of the adaptive textile. 
     
     
         15 . The adaptive textile of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first fibers are parallel to each other and alternate between external faces of first and second opposing sides of the adaptive textile. 
     
     
         16 . The adaptive textile of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of second fibers are parallel to each other and parallel to the plurality of first fibers, the plurality of second fibers alternating between extending along the external faces of the first and second opposing sides and opposing the plurality of first fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The adaptive textile of  claim 13 , wherein one or both of the first expansion coefficient and the second expansion coefficient of the first fibers and second fibers is 1000 μm/m/K or more. 
     
     
         18 . The adaptive textile of  claim 13 , wherein the effective thickness of the adaptive textile at least doubles in response to a change from a first temperature to a second temperature. 
     
     
         19 . The adaptive textile of  claim 18 , wherein the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is 10° C. or less. 
     
     
         20 . The adaptive textile of  claim 18 , wherein the adaptive textile undergoes a change in area no more than 5% when the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is 10° C. or less.