Subject:
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Electrostatic cooling of robots
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics.handyboard
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Date:
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Sun, 15 Jun 1997 05:23:34 GMT
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Original-From:
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Michael A. Tyborski <WEBWERX@EXECPC.COMstopspam>
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Viewed:
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1522 times
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The Yuma proving grounds, in Arizona, has proven to be a hostile
environment for robots. In his UXO detection paper, Mark W. Tilden,
researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, describes the
area:
The Yuma terrain is excessively hot during the day (140 degrees
F. nominal ground temperature, 165 degrees max.) and freezing
at night, excessively alkaline soils and fine sands, over fourteen
types of complex desert terrain including cliffs and rock mesas,
high airborne humidity (80% nominal), dust-laden winds, harsh
vegetation (Barrel cactus to Spineweed), and occupied by
rattlesnakes, scorpions, wild horses, and fifty years worth
of military scrap metal.
Because of the hazard, researchers are developing ways to find the
unexploded ordnance within the proving grounds. Tilden says that "many
other computer-based approaches have generally failed." Some of his
walker robots, unfortunately, were also affected during half-day tests.
Oscar C. Blomgren, Jr. may have found a way to keep robots cool. As
described in his US patents and shown in many demonstrations, he uses
electrostatic cooling. His system drops the temperature of copper strips
from 1100 degrees F. to 300 degrees within a few seconds. It also
prevents Kleenex from being burned by a propane torch.
Electrostatic cooling can be inexpensively added to outdoor robots.
Whenever they become to hot, a simple high-voltage inverter module could
charge their shells. It must provide NEGATIVE 15-40 Kilovolts at low
current. The shell could also self-generate the charge if it was made
with materials that generate static electricity. The triboelectric
series should provide some ideas.
What are the potential problems? Besides not working in high humidity,
the charge may generate ESD that could damage the onboard electronics.
This problem, however, could be solved by neuralizing the charge within
the robot. Finally, humans would need to protect themselves from shocks.
REFERENCES
Oscar C. Blomgren's electrostatic cooling patents
USP #3,224,497
Method and Apparatus for Lowering the Temperature of a Heated Body
USP #3,872,917
Cooling Apparatus and Method for Heat Exchangers
"Incredible New Probe Puts the Freeze on Hot Spots-Instantly"
by E. F. Lindsley
Popular Science (year unknown)
Yuma Proving Grounds Automatic UXO Detection Using Biomorphic Robots
by Mark W. Tilden at Los Alamos National Laboratory
This paper is another excellent introduction to Biomorphic robots. It
shows how computer-less robots can perform practical tasks in a hostile
environment. With twelve-transistor Nervous Network controllers, these
robots walk through the area, locate, and tag ordnance.
http://www.webconn.com/~mwd/beam/mines/minesweep.html
Cheers,
Michael A. Tyborski
WebWerx
Milwaukee, WI
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