IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,510,062
Granted Patent B2
US 12,510,062 · App. 18/458,514 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Hydrophobic twisted and coiled polymer actuators

Inventors: Yuyang Song (Ann Arbor, MI); Umesh N. Gandhi (Farmington Hills, MI); Yonas Tadesse (Garland, TX); Pawandeep Singh Matharu (Dallas, TX)
Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; The University of Texas at Dallas
F03G7/0616F03G7/062F05B2280/2006F05B2280/4003F05B2280/6011
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,510,062
App. No.
18/458,514
Granted
Dec 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An actuator includes a twisted and coiled polymer fishing line and an untwisted resistance heating wire (TCP FL RHW ) actuator and a coating on the TCP FL HRW actuator. The coating includes a mixture of carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles, and in some variations, the coating includes a polymer matrix with the carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles disposed in the polymer matrix. And the actuator exhibits enhanced actuator parameters such as actuator efficiency, hydrophobicity, power consumption, actuation frequency, dynamic actuation and cooling rate.

Claims (26)

1 . An actuator comprising:

a twisted and coiled polymer fishing line and resistance heating wire (TCP FL RHW ) actuator; and

a coating on the TCP FL RHW actuator, the coating comprising a mixture of carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles.

2 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the resistance heating wire is an untwisted resistance heating wire.

3 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the resistance heating wire is a nichrome heating wire.

4 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is hydrophobic.

5 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a polymer matrix.

6 . The actuator according to claim 5 , wherein the polymer matrix is a polyvinyl alcohol matrix.

7 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the coating further comprises a polymer matrix and has a composition of between about 5.0 wt. % about 15.0 wt. % carbon nanotubes, between about 5.0 wt. % and about 15.0 wt. % metal nanoparticles, between about 30.0 wt. % and about 50.0 wt. % mesoporous carbon nanoparticles, and between about 30.0 wt. % and about 50.0 wt. % polyvinyl alcohol.

8 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the coating further comprises a polymer matrix and has a composition of between about 7.5 wt. % about 12.5 wt. % carbon nanotubes, between about 7.5 wt. % and about 12.5 wt. % metal nanoparticles, between about 35.0 wt. % and about 45.0 wt. % mesoporous carbon nanoparticles, and between about 35.0 wt. % and about 45.0 wt. % polyvinyl alcohol.

9 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the TCP FL RHW actuator with the coating exhibits at least a 50% energy conversion efficiency improvement compared to the TCP FL RHW actuator without the coating.

10 . The actuator according to claim 9 , wherein the TCP FL RHW actuator with the coating exhibits at least a 60% energy conversion efficiency improvement compared to the TCP FL RHW actuator without the coating.

11 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the TCP FL RHW actuator with the coating dynamically responds at least 25% faster than the TCP FL RHW actuator without the coating.

12 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the TCP FL RHW actuator with the coating dynamically responds at least 30% faster than the TCP FL RHW actuator without the coating.

13 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the TCP FL RHW actuator with the coating dynamically responds at least 40% faster than the TCP FL RHW actuator without the coating.

14 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the TCP FL RHW actuator with the coating dynamically responds at least 50% faster than the TCP FL RHW actuator without the coating.

15 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the TCP FL RHW actuator with the coating comprises an actuation frequency between about 0.1 Hz and about 1.0 Hz.

16 . An actuator comprising:

a twisted and coiled polymer fishing line and untwisted resistance heating wire (TCP FL URHW ) actuator; and

a hydrophobic coating on the TCP FL URHW actuator, the hydrophobic coating comprising a mixture of a polymer matrix and carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles disposed in the polymer matrix.

17 . The actuator according to claim 16 wherein the metal nanoparticles comprise nickel nanoparticles and the polymer matrix comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

18 . The actuator according to claim 17 , wherein the hydrophobic coating has a composition of between about 5.0 wt. % about 15.0 wt. % carbon nanotubes, between about 5.0 wt. % and about 15.0 wt. % metal nanoparticles, between about 30.0 wt. % and about 50.0 wt. % mesoporous carbon nanoparticles, and between about 30.0 wt. % and about 50 wt. % polyvinyl alcohol.

19 . An actuator comprising:

a twisted and coiled polymer fishing line and untwisted resistance heating wire (TCP FL URHW ) actuator; and

a hydrophobic coating on the TCP FL URHW actuator, the hydrophobic coating comprising a mixture of a polymer matrix and carbon nanotubes, nickel nanoparticles, and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles disposed in the polymer matrix with a composition of between about 5.0 wt. % about 15.0 wt. % carbon nanotubes, between about 5.0 wt. % and about 15.0 wt. % metal nanoparticles, between about 30.0 wt. % and about 50.0 wt. % mesoporous carbon nanoparticles, and between about 30.0 wt. % and about 50 wt. % polymer.

20 . The actuator according to claim 19 , wherein the polymer matrix is polyvinyl alcohol.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2026
From: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 073352/0220 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2023
From: SONG, YUYANG; GANDHI, UMESH N.
To: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 064776/0040 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2023
From: TADESSE, YONAS; MATHARU, PAWANDEEP SINGH
To: THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS
Reel/Frame 064776/0055 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250075686A1 · Mar 6, 2025
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