JPHA Applications

This new method (patent pending) can make a dramatic impact on the next innovation of hydraulic and pneumatic drive controllers. This will be achieved first in the effective miniaturization in the micro/meso scale, and secondly, in the reduction of external influences from heat fluxes, high temperature fields, magnetic and radiation fields based on the fact that the Interface Transducer (in the embodiments of JPHA) will have no moving mechanical parts or electrical components inside. One of the first uses could be as an actual bridge from nano-to-micro scaled microfluidic platforms to the miniaturized meso scaled or standard macro scaled hydraulic and pneumatic drives.

Industries and markets that may consider such a technology include industrial, medical, aviation, space, and defense.Use in robotics, UAV's, and nuclear controls are just a few applications. The size and scope of the market potential for this new technology is currently limited only to the size of the current market where hydraulic and pneumatic drives are used today. In the future, new markets may also open due to the size, nature, and other benefits of the new product. Due to the fact there are no moving parts, miniaturization will be achieved without an increase to cost of production. As the concept expands to all levels of controls, there is the possibility to retro-fit legacy equipment, which will be driven by environmental, health, security and safety issues.

Indeed, all areas of hydraulic and pneumatic drives will benefit from this new approach, provided there is a purposeful speed-up in development and lot production of Microfluidic Modular Assemblies (MiFluMA) that would consist of the MEMS-Microfluidic Platform, Interface Transducer and Control Unit of miniaturized Hydraulic-Pneumatic Drive. This innovative approach provides the possibility for the simplest, quickest, and most inexpensive method for promotion of market growth for fluid handling devices and systems.

Some specific applications of MiFluMA suggested are as follows:

- Industrial robots. Fire robots. Mine clearing and reconnaissance robots. Robots for handling poisoning and radioactive materials;

- Rock-cutting equipment, operating in a dusty and explosion hazard ambient;

- Coal-plough machines, utilized in an enclosed, explosion hazard ambient;

- Casting, milling, forging and pressing equipment, operating in specific industrial conditions of high temperature, contaminated air, and vibrations under loading;

- Gearboxes of large dimension metalworking tools, where it seems to be economically reasonable to feed the power input of JPHA and JHHA from the oil lubricating systems;

- Automated hydraulic drives for the wheel or track trailers and other ground vehicles;

- Hydraulic steering or other control drives of the live or unmanned air, ground and marine vehicles, where it is economically advantageous to feed the power input of JPHA and JHHA from the vehicular flow-through fuel system;

- Automated distributing devices for liquid products in petrochemical and food industries;

- Liquid loading level regulators for gas, oil, pharmaceutical and chemical industries;

- Programmed loading test benches for fatigue trials onto the carrying structures of aircrafts or other critical objects.