Hi Peter,
I think your idea is very interesting. Have you made any attempts at creating the device? From trying to visualize how it would work I can't help but think the two sides would possibly 'balance' each other out ending up with no movement, due to each side being able to create equal force. Not that I'm trying to cast doubts or say it wouldn't work or anything like that.
I've been having a few ideas how to do something like this too. One idea, is to rotate what you have already by 90 degrees and just have the one spring at the bottom. A weight could then be placed on top which collapses the spring, causing compression and heat in the same way. The NITINOL spring would then stretch out with enough force to overcome the weight which would then lower pressure and temp again. I don't know if you could get a weight to produce enough pressure/heat that the NITINOL could be strong enough to overcome though- and essentially that's where your approach does not have that same problem.
Another similar approach I thought of was to not rely on the pressure for the heat, but go back to a heated reservoir at the bottom, so that when collapsed the spring is immersed in it, and then stretches to be released from it, allowing cooling. Also instead of having a magnet/coil, the force of the movement could be attached to a piston causing rotational movement. Again, in this arrangement gravity could be the force that's used to collapse the spring back down.
Forgive me if I'm way off the mark, I'm very much a novice in this area- but doing my best to learn more
path3755 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
I think your idea is very interesting. Have you made any attempts at creating the device? From trying to visualize how it would work I can't help but think the two sides would possibly 'balance' each other out ending up with no movement, due to each side being able to create equal force. Not that I'm trying to cast doubts or say it wouldn't work or anything like that.
I've been having a few ideas how to do something like this too. One idea, is to rotate what you have already by 90 degrees and just have the one spring at the bottom. A weight could then be placed on top which collapses the spring, causing compression and heat in the same way. The NITINOL spring would then stretch out with enough force to overcome the weight which would then lower pressure and temp again. I don't know if you could get a weight to produce enough pressure/heat that the NITINOL could be strong enough to overcome though- and essentially that's where your approach does not have that same problem.
Another similar approach I thought of was to not rely on the pressure for the heat, but go back to a heated reservoir at the bottom, so that when collapsed the spring is immersed in it, and then stretches to be released from it, allowing cooling. Also instead of having a magnet/coil, the force of the movement could be attached to a piston causing rotational movement. Again, in this arrangement gravity could be the force that's used to collapse the spring back down.
Forgive me if I'm way off the mark, I'm very much a novice in this area- but doing my best to learn more
path3755 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!