US 11,946,837 B2
Electroactive actuators as sampling port valves for aspirating contaminant detection
Rajiv Ranjan, South Windsor, CT (US); Suman Dwari, Vernon, CT (US); and Peter R. Harris, West Hartford, CT (US)
Assigned to CARRIER CORPORATION, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US)
Appl. No. 17/054,427
Filed by Carrier Corporation, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US)
PCT Filed May 15, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/032347
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 10, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/222305, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 21, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/671,835, filed on May 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0063287 A1, Mar. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 1/26 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); G08B 17/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 1/26 (2013.01) [G01N 33/0063 (2013.01); G08B 17/10 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A detection system comprising:
a central manifold comprising a detection chamber;
a pipe network comprising at least one pipe fluidly coupled to the central manifold;
a plurality of inlets formed over a length of the at least one pipe;
an aspirating mechanism operable to draw a fluid flow at each of the plurality of inlets through the pipe network to the central manifold; and
a plurality of independently operable flow control devices associated with the plurality of inlets, at least one of the plurality of flow control devices includes:
a base;
an actuator connected to the base; and
a sealing element formed from a solid state flexible polymer deformable in response to application of a voltage, wherein the sealing element is configured to expand in response to the application of the voltage such that an outer periphery of the sealing element directly contacts an inlet of the plurality of inlets to seal the inlet.