A dual-cycle heat engine employing a first cycling working fluid and a second cycling working fluid whose cycles overlap when fused into a combined working stream so as to preserve compression heat generated during compression of the first working fluid thereby yielding enhanced work extraction when complying with additional thermodynamic requirements.

An actuator system includes a sleeve for accommodating an appendage of a user therein, actuators, and a power source. Each actuator includes a deformable shell defining a pouch including an enclosed internal cavity with a fluid dielectric contained therein, and first and second electrodes disposed over opposing sides of the pouch. The power source provides a voltage between the first and second electrodes. The sleeve includes features for distributing the actuators within the sleeve in a predetermined manner. Application of the voltage produces directional forces on the appendage. In embodiments, the first and second electrodes are disposed over the pouch such that, when the actuator is activated, the fluid dielectric is displaced in a length direction within the pouch, and the features in the sleeve may or may not align the actuators such that the length direction of the actuators are in alignment.

The energy conversion device includes liquid dielectric as a capacitor. The energy of the liquid dielectric capacitor is consumed inside the capacitor for use in engines, welding, or producing buoyancy gas, or consumed outside the capacitor for use as an on-board capacitor for a vehicle. The liquid dielectric capacitor is considered a dielectric breakdown-inducing igniter as an alternative to the conventional spark plug. In order to utilize the principle of this igniter as an energy source for an engine, a welding device or a gas production device for a buoyancy bag used to lift off seabed resources, an electric charge is applied to a liquid dielectric thin layer, then the thickness of the liquid dielectric thin layer is brought close to zero to cause dielectric breakdown, or the thickness of the liquid dielectric thin layer is increased to create a high voltage source for an on-board capacitor for a vehicle.

A mechanical energy storage device comprising an expandable and contractable, sealed primary chamber with a sealed variable internal volume containing an expandable/compressible primary fluid. An external medium or a secondary chamber that resists expansion of the primary chamber surrounds the primary chamber. An input mechanism that is actuated by an external force, manipulates formers to transform the primary chamber shell such that the sealed primary chamber increases in volume and the expanding fluid contained within reduces in pressure causing a partial vacuum pressure differential between the fluid and the surrounding medium, or secondary chamber, allowing energy to be stored. When the external force is removed, the pressure differential works to decrease the volume of the sealed primary chamber driving the output mechanism. A locking mechanism allows for the device to store energy, for it to be decoupled and transported, and for the energy to be extracted later.

A silk fibroin-based multi-responsive soft actuator and a manufacturing method therefor are provided. The soft actuator includes a silk fibroin membrane and a flexible substrate, the silk fibroin membrane being arranged on and tightly bonded with the flexible substrate to form a double-layer membrane structure, thermal expansion coefficients of the silk fibroin membrane and the flexible substrate being different. The manufacturing method for a soft actuator includes: performing plasma processing on a flexible substrate; then scrap-coating the flexible substrate with a silk fibroin wet membrane, drying same to obtain a silk fibroin membrane, the silk fibroin membrane together with the flexible substrate forming a double-layer membrane; soaking the double-layer membrane into water, and then drying same; and integrally or locally soaking in a calcium chloride aqueous solution the silk fibroin membrane in the dried double-layer membrane, then taking out same, and drying same to obtain a soft actuator.

The invention relates to a buoyancy force utilization device for converting kinetic buoyancy energy and/or potential energy into an electrical and/or mechanical energy, a temperature barrier device and a method for converting thermal energy into electrical energy, wherein the invention utilizes the cyclic lift and fall of a buoyant body within a fluid to provide an electrical energy.

A silk fibroin-based multi-responsive soft actuator and a manufacturing method therefor are provided. The soft actuator includes a silk fibroin membrane and a flexible substrate, the silk fibroin membrane being arranged on and tightly bonded with the flexible substrate to form a double-layer membrane structure, thermal expansion coefficients of the silk fibroin membrane and the flexible substrate being different. The manufacturing method for a soft actuator includes: performing plasma processing on a flexible substrate; then scrap-coating the flexible substrate with a silk fibroin wet membrane, drying same to obtain a silk fibroin membrane, the silk fibroin membrane together with the flexible substrate forming a double-layer membrane; soaking the double-layer membrane into water, and then drying same; and integrally or locally soaking in a calcium chloride aqueous solution the silk fibroin membrane in the dried double-layer membrane, then taking out same, and drying same to obtain a soft actuator.

The hydrogen compression system, comprises a source of gaseous hydrogen at a first pressure, and a mixing unit, adapted to mix hydrogen and an additional gaseous component at said first pressure, the additional gaseous component having an average molecular weight higher than hydrogen. A compression unit is adapted to compress a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen and the additional gaseous component to a second pressure. A separation unit is fluidly coupled to the compression unit and adapted to separate compressed hydrogen from compressed additional gaseous component. An energy recovery arrangement is further provided to recover energy from the expansion of the compressed additional gaseous component from the second pressure to the third pressure. Disclosed is also a method for efficient hydrogen compression.

A thermal actuator, has: a housing having a peripheral wall extending from a first end to a second end and defining a fluid port; a first bellows within the housing and deformable along a longitudinal direction; a thermal expansion material within the housing between the first bellows and the second end of the housing and outwardly of the first bellows; a movable member engaged by the first bellows and received in the housing and protruding through an opening, the movable member movable by the first bellows relative to the housing by expansion and by contraction of the thermal expansion material; a second bellows disposed within the housing and engaged by the movable member and fluidly isolating the fluid port from the opening of the housing; and a fluid-receiving volume defined within the housing by the first bellows and the second bellows and in fluid communication with the fluid port.