Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Unusual propulsion system

[TeslaTony@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/21/00 1:22:55 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
martin.kleinelanghorst@tntpost.com writes:

> There is possible alternative, it is gels. This stuff is familiar to us all,
>  you find it in diaphers. When you add water it swells, but it also swells
>  if you apply an electric current.
>  Paul Flory got the Chemistry Nobel prize for the basic theory behind this,
>  but more interestingly, on the application side of things, a Japanese guy
>  called Tanaka (I hope I remember his name correctly) has done
>  extensive experiments with that.
>  He tried to build artificial limbs with artificial muscles consisting of 
gel 
> and
>  got pretty far with his approach. Maybe also useful in subs?
>  
>  Martin
>  
The only requirements for this are a wing that can move like a Stingray or a 
Mantaray, which means any material that capable of acheiving that type of 
motion fast enough and strong enough will work as long as it is affordable.

Now the only drawbacks that I can see for using a Gel is that some types will 
generate electricity when pressure is applied--something that may or may not 
interfere with movement when changing depths underwater--and it is easier to 
engineer movement using contract-relax instead of expand-relax.

If you have any more information on Gels I would be more than happy to take a 
look at it since Gels may have some very interesting advantages.

Anthony