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Danfoss A/S:
Danfoss is a leading producer of precision mechanical and electronic components and of intelligent "mechatronic" devices. The company has factories on four continents, subsidiaries and representatives in more than 100 countries and 17,000 employees worldwide.
Danfoss products are in general associated with energy conversion and increased industrial efficiency. The main application areas for the products are: Refrigeration controls, compressors for refrigerators and freezers, controls for heating systems, industrial instrumentation, components for burners, hydraulic components and electrical drives and controls.
Contribution to actuator technology: Danfoss products include a large number of diverse actuators which are under continuous improvement and development.
Examples are load-sensing hydraulics, optimisation of linear magnetic actuators and refinement of self-acting thermo-pneumatic actuators.
Many alternative actuator technologies have been investigated. Recent work includes feasibility studies on piezoelectric travelling wave actuators for linear motion, Shape Memory Alloy self-acting or electrically controlled actuators for valves and electrostatic actuators for microsystems technology (MST) applications.1,2,3,4
Polymer-based actuators are a new technology at Danfoss. These types of actuators are seen as a promising technology both for existing applications and future applications in the area of process and manufacturing automation.
The Technical University of Denmark:
The participants from the Departments of Physical Chemistry and of Physics have formed a research group in solid state electrochemistry for 15 years. The group has participated in a number of national and international research collaborations connected with aspects of the motion of ions in solids.
Intercalation compounds: A number of transition metal oxides and sulphides have been synthesized and characterized with respect to their function as electrodes in rechargeable batteries5.
Solid State Batteries: Rechargeable batteries with high energy density using solid materials for both electrodes and electrolyte (crystalline, glassy and polymeric) have been studied both experimentally and theoretically6.
Polymer electrolytes: The special features of ionic conduction in polymers have been studied with respect to the factors leading to current limitation7.
Electronically conducting polymers: The interaction of ions and solvents with conducting polymers (e.g., polypyrrole) has been described, especially with respect to the control of conjugation length during synthesis.8
Risø DTU:
From Risø, the Solar Energy Programme participates in the project. The programme is is headed by Peter Sommer-Larsen. The materials chemistry group is specialized in functional soft materials, and the research areas cover:
Polymer synthesis: This work includes synthesis of block-copolymer systems,10 peptide-based compounds, side-chain liquid crystalline polymers11 and crosslinking and grafting of polymeric materials initiated by ionizing radiation12 (electron and -radiation sources are available).
Organic synthesis: Functional molecules with special sensorial, optical, electrical or self-structuring properties13 are the focus for this work.
Small angle neutron and X-ray diffraction: Studies of polymeric systems and colloids including order-disorder transitions in block-copolymeric melts.14,15
Rheological properties of polymeric systems: Dynamically mechanical characterizations of a broad range of materials ranging from water to steel.16
Other characterization methods: Surface specific techniques like ESCA and photo acoustic FTIR are available in the materials chemistry group as well as analytical techniques like HPLC, SEC, MALDITOF-MS, GC-MS, NMR, UV-VIS, FTIR and DSC.
Modeling of molecular and polymeric properties: Computer modeling of molecular and polymeric systems.
Theory of martensitic and magnetic actuator materials: Theoretical foundation of order-disorder transitions. |