The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 01, 2018
Filed:
May. 05, 2016
The United States of America, As Represented BY the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Andres Larraza, Salinas, CA (US);
David M. Wolfe, Texarkana, TX (US);
The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
Provided is a light activated piezoelectric converter comprising a cantilever vane coupled to a foundation. The vane comprises a first surface and a second surface. The first and second surfaces are generally co-planer and adjacent to a common boundary and have differing emissivities. A piezoelectric material is additionally coupled to the vane, arranged such that a deflection of the free end of the vane generates stress acting on the piezoelectric material. When the piezoelectric converter is illuminated with a radiant flux, the differing emissivities of the first and second surfaces produce a temperature gradient across the vane and a thermal creep force across the planar surface generates a deflection of the vane, and a subsequent voltage induced by the stress on the piezoelectric material generates a voltage between a first electrode and second electrode in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material.