A capacitive element using a liquid as a dielectric, whereby the capacitance is prevented from changing. The capacitive element is equipped with: a storage container that has an inlet port for introducing a liquid serving as a dielectric, has an outlet port for discharging the liquid, and is filled with the liquid; and at least one pair of electrodes that are provided in the storage container and face each other, wherein an opening section for exhausting air bubbles in the storage container is formed in an upper wall of the storage container.

An electro-hydraulic actuator includes a deformable shell defining an enclosed internal cavity and containing a liquid dielectric, first and second electrodes on first and second sides, respectively, of the enclosed internal cavity. An electrostatic force between the first and second electrodes upon application of a voltage to one of the electrodes draws the electrodes towards each other to displace the liquid dielectric within the enclosed internal cavity. The shell includes active and inactive areas such that the electrostatic forces between the first and second electrodes displaces the liquid dielectric within the enclosed internal cavity from the active area of the shell to the inactive area of the shell. The first and second electrodes, the deformable shell, and the liquid dielectric cooperate to form a self-healing capacitor, and the liquid dielectric is configured for automatically filling breaches in the liquid dielectric resulting from dielectric breakdown.

A variable capacitor includes an enclosure having first and second conductive collars separated by an intermediate electrically insulating element. A movable capacitor plate assembly is electrically coupled to the first conductive collar, and a fixed capacitor plate assembly is electrically coupled to the second conductive collar. An actuator extends into the enclosure for advancing and retracting the movable capacitor plate assembly relative to the fixed capacitor plate assembly. A hermetically sealed volume within the enclosure contains a dielectric fluid serving as a dielectric between a capacitor plate of the movable capacitor plate assembly and a capacitor plate of the fixed capacitor plate assembly. A flexible structure is provided to contain the dielectric fluid displaced when the movable capacitor plate assembly is advanced toward the fixed capacitor plate assembly.

A variable capacitor includes an enclosure having first and second conductive collars separated by an intermediate electrically insulating element. A movable capacitor plate assembly is electrically coupled to the first conductive collar, and a fixed capacitor plate assembly is electrically coupled to the second conductive collar. An actuator extends into the enclosure for advancing and retracting the movable capacitor plate assembly relative to the fixed capacitor plate assembly. A hermetically sealed volume within the enclosure maintains a vacuum or a liquid serving as a dielectric between a capacitor plate of the movable capacitor plate assembly and a capacitor plate of the fixed capacitor plate assembly. At least one capacitor plate comprises a coiled cylindrical plate having a having a greater height at a center portion of the capacitor plate coil and a lower height at an outer portion of the capacitor plate coil.

A low radio frequency electro-mechanical load pull impedance tuner uses four rotary, remotely controlled variable shunt capacitors and three fixed series transmission lines to create up to 10.sup.8 independently controllable impedance states at each frequency covering the entire Smith chart in the frequency range between 1 and 10 MHz; the capacitors and control motors and gear are immersed in high epsilon dielectric fluid inside individual sealed containers. Appropriate Error Function-based optimization algorithms, allow fast impedance tuning at the fundamental frequency at the output of DUT's operated in high gain compression. Stepper motors, drivers and control software are used to remotely control the variable shunt capacitors of the tuner and allow it to be automated, pre-calibrated and used in an automated load pull measuring setup.

An electro-hydraulic actuator includes a deformable shell defining an enclosed internal cavity and containing a liquid dielectric, first and second electrodes on first and second sides, respectively, of the enclosed internal cavity. An electrostatic force between the first and second electrodes upon application of a voltage to one of the electrodes draws the electrodes towards each other to displace the liquid dielectric within the enclosed internal cavity. The shell includes active and inactive areas such that the electrostatic forces between the first and second electrodes displaces the liquid dielectric within the enclosed internal cavity from the active area of the shell to the inactive area of the shell. The first and second electrodes, the deformable shell, and the liquid dielectric cooperate to form a self-healing capacitor, and the liquid dielectric is configured for automatically filling breaches in the liquid dielectric resulting from dielectric breakdown.

An electro-hydraulic actuator includes a deformable shell defining an enclosed internal cavity and containing a liquid dielectric, first and second electrodes on first and second sides, respectively, of the enclosed internal cavity. An electrostatic force between the first and second electrodes upon application of a voltage to one of the electrodes draws the electrodes towards each other to displace the liquid dielectric within the enclosed internal cavity. The shell includes active and inactive areas such that the electrostatic forces between the first and second electrodes displaces the liquid dielectric within the enclosed internal cavity from the active area of the shell to the inactive area of the shell. The first and second electrodes, the deformable shell, and the liquid dielectric cooperate to form a self-healing capacitor, and the liquid dielectric is configured for automatically filling breaches in the liquid dielectric resulting from dielectric breakdown.

A generator comprises a parallel plate capacitor which in turn is made up of a mobile plate and a stationary plate, the plates facing each other in parallel at their internal faces. The mobile plate moves up and down due to an external mechanical force to increase and decrease the gap between the plates, leading to a change in the capacitance between the mobile plate and the stationary plate. The internal faces of the plates have dielectric surfaces, for example formed by oxidizing. The generator is useful for example for small-scale mobile devices such as wearables, and to any device where motion is available to transform into electricity.

Hydraulically-amplified, self-healing, electrostatic actuators that harness electrostatic and hydraulic forces to achieve various actuation modes. Electrostatic forces between electrode pairs of the actuators generated upon application of a voltage to the electrode pairs draws the electrodes in each pair towards each other to displace a liquid dielectric contained within an enclosed internal cavity of the actuators to drive actuation in various manners. The electrodes and the liquid dielectric form a self-healing capacitor whereby the liquid dielectric automatically fills breaches in the liquid dielectric resulting from dielectric breakdown.

A capacitive element using a liquid as a dielectric, whereby the capacitance is prevented from changing. The capacitive element is equipped with: a storage container that has an inlet port for introducing a liquid serving as a dielectric, has an outlet port for discharging the liquid, and is filled with the liquid; and at least one pair of electrodes that are provided in the storage container and face each other, wherein an opening section for exhausting air bubbles in the storage container is formed in an upper wall of the storage container.