The University of Texas System

Zhong Wang

Ray H Baughman

Shaoli Fang

Carter Sebastian Haines

Na Li

Jiuke Mu

Marcio Dias Lima

Ali E Aliev

Zunfeng Liu

Run Wang

Hetao Chu

Jinsong Leng

Xinghao Hu

Previous electrochemically-powered yarn muscles cannot be usefully operated between extreme negative and extreme positive potentials, since strokes during electron injection and during hole injection partially cancel because they are in the same direction. Unipolar-stroke carbon nanotube yarn muscles are described in which muscle strokes are additive between extreme negative and extreme positive potentials, and stroke increases with potential scan rate. These electrochemical artificial muscles include an electrically conducting twisted or coiled yarn and a material that dramatically shifts the potential of zero charge of the electrochemically actuated yarn.

Unipolar artificial muscles and methods of use thereof

Cooling by a twist-untwist process, by a stretch-release process for twisted, coiled, or supercoiled yarns or fibers, and methods and systems thereof. High mechanocaloric cooling results from release of inserted twist or from stretch release for twisted, coiled, or supercoiled fibers, including natural rubber fibers, NiTi wires, and polyethylene fishing line. Twist utilization can increase cooling and cooling efficiencies. A cooler using twist insertion and release can be shorter and smaller in volume than a cooler that requires a large elastomeric elongation. The cooler system can be utilized in mechanochromic textiles and remotely readable tensile and torsional sensors.

Methods for torsional refrigeration by twisted, coiled, and supercoiled fibers and systems thereof

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Zhong Wang