Bistable Fluidic Laminar Amplifiers for Optopneumatic Interfaces

摘要

Properties such as intrinsic security, low switching power, and the possibility of fabricating interfaces such as optopneumatic interfaces without electrical parts have greatly increased interest in fluidic elements. In fluidic elements, an optical signal is con-verted to a pressure signal that, when appropriately amplified, commands power stages suitable for environments having the risk of explosion or electromagnetic interference. The operation and use of bistables based on the wall effect has been known among digital elements for some time, but this component has mainly been studied and applied in turbulent systems. We focus on the study and realization of a fluidic bistable amplifier operating in the laminar range and therefore switchable by extremely low control power.