Method for activating thermally actuated active material actuator of actuation assembly utilized in e.g. hazardous environment, involves exposing actuator to heat energy activation signal, and directly producing signal as result of element

摘要

The method involves producing a wireless transmission (14), where the transmission is omni-directional. A receptive element is engaged with the transmission, where the element is communicatively coupled to a thermally actuated active material actuator (12). The element is modified as a result of engagement with the transmission. The actuator is exposed to a heat energy activation signal, where the heat energy activation signal is directly produced as a result of modifying the element, where the element is operable to convert the transmission into the heat energy activation signal. The wireless transmission is selected from a group consisting of laser beam (14a), X-rays, microwaves, UV radiation, visible light, radio waves, and sound waves. The actuator is made of active material that is selected from a group consisting of shape memory alloy, shape memory ceramic, paraffin wax or shape memory polymer. The element is selected from a group consisting essentially of a coating applied to an external surface of the actuator, a surface treatment (22), an external layer adjacent the surface, a fluid composition, a set of particles impregnated in the actuator and a molecular additive. The element is selected from a group consisting of pyrotecimic or pyroelectric material and chromogenic material such as photochromic material, thermochromic material, electrochromic material and halochromic material. An independent claim is also included for an actuation assembly comprising an active material actuator.