Associate Professor, Anne Ladegaard Skov, of the Danish Polymer Center (DPC) is heading a research team under the research project Highly efficient low cost energy generation and actuation using disruptive DEAP technology funded by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation (ATF).
Associate Professor Anne Ladegaard Skov is leader of the Materials work package under the project consortium – for more information on the consortium see the article Pioneering actuators and generators using novel DEAP technology.
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Anne Ladegaard Skov and Assistant Professor Anders Daugaard’s research focuses on the properties of the DEAP material – to improve existing materials and possibly develop new materials. Properties of DEAP material researched include: breakdown strength, tear strength, elasticity, life time expectations and dielectric permittivity. The research efforts to improve these properties and possibly develop new superior materials are closely related to the use of fillers and additives. Different fillers and additives will improve (or deteriorate) different properties of the material – thus the key point is to find the best possible mix, balancing different properties against each other. Other factors that will have to be taken into consideration when developing the optimal mix include possible environmental side effects and the wish to lower production cost.
Photo:
Anne Ladegaard Skov with a DEAP sample from Danfoss PolyPower. |
Two key areas are researched, the improvement of actuator materials and generator materials. For both materials, a roadmap of five versions has been planned for the 2011-2015 development cycle.
The force density of the DEAP material is a measure of the amount of energy which can be taken up / released at a given applied voltage. For actuators, a high force for a low voltage is desirable. For generators, the desirable property is to gain as much energy as possible from the generator with one cycle with the common frequency of waves (0.1-0.3 Hz).
The aims of the Materials research team are very clear:
- To develop improved DEAP materials for industrial application by partner companies – and sophisticate DEAP technology
- To carry out science which is directly converted into products
For further information, contact Anne Ladegaard Skov,