Publications by Morgan Almanza

Adaptation of a solid-state-Marx modulator for electroactive polymer

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Thomas Guillaume Martinez, Morgan Almanza

Electroactive polymers show promising characteristic such as lightness, compactness, flexibility and large displacements making them a candidate for application in cardiac assist devices. This revives the need for quasi- square wave voltage supply switchin ...

2022

A Cockcroft-Walton generator driven by wireless power transfer for implanted high-voltage generation

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Thomas Guillaume Martinez, Morgan Almanza

This paper presents a Cockcroft-Walton (CW) generator as a solution to generate an intermediate high voltage for the supply of a DEA cardiac assist device. This consists in fully passive converter allowing to output a DC signal from an alternative signal e ...

IEEE2021

Dielectric elastomer actuator

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Jonathan André Jean-Marie Chavanne, Morgan Almanza

A dielectric elastomer actuator (1) comprising: a plurality of polymer layer (2);a plurality of stretchable electrode layers (3), each polymer layer (2) being sandwiched between two electrode layers (3) so as to control the electric field within the polyme ...

2021

Feasibility of a Dielectric Elastomer Augmented Aorta

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Jonathan André Jean-Marie Chavanne, David Moser, Morgan Almanza, Francesco Clavica

Although heart transplantation is a gold standard for severe heart failure, there is a need for alternative effective therapies. A dielectric‐elastomer aorta is used to augment the physiological role of the aorta in the human circulatory system. To this en ...

2021

Ultra-High-Voltage (7-kV) Bidirectional Flyback Converter Used to Drive Capacitive Actuators

Yves Perriard, Alexis Boegli, Raphaël Johannes Charles Mottet, Morgan Almanza, Lucas Pniak

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have extremely advantageous characteristics such as lightness, compactness, flexibility, and large displacements. However, in order to operate, they can require voltages in the order of several thousands of volts. Thus ...

IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC2021

Stretchable tubular device and use thereof as a counterpulsation device

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Jonathan André Jean-Marie Chavanne, Thomas Guillaume Martinez, Morgan Almanza

The present invention is related to a stretchable tubular device (1) comprising at least one layer (Lx) of a stretchable polymer, a power supply (2) and a set of electrodes (3a, 3b) connected to said power supply (2). The power supply can supply at least a ...

2021

Ultra High Voltage Switch for Bidirectional DC-DC Converter Driving Dielectric Elastomer Actuator

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Morgan Almanza, Lucas Pniak

Specific applications, such as dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) or electroactive polymers, require to switch voltage levels exceeding the ratings of existing semiconductor devices. In low power application, reversible flyback are widely used to supply ...

2020

Towards the material limit and field concentration smoothing in multilayer dielectric elastomer actuators

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Jonathan André Jean-Marie Chavanne, Morgan Almanza

Performance of dielectric elastomer actuators is closely related to its breakdown field. On the other hand, to enhance the available energy, multilayer configuration is needed to increase the amount of active material. However, multilayer configuration suf ...

IOP PUBLISHING LTD2020

Multi-level high-voltage power supply for dea application

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Morgan Almanza, Lucas Depreux, Lucas Pniak

In order to reap the benefits of Dielectric Elastomer Actuator (DEA) high energy density, the electronics powering the actuator should be as small as possible. Knowing that only a small fraction of the energy delivered to DEAs is effectively converted into ...

2019

Towards an ultra-high voltage gain, compact, and energy recovering Flyback DC/DC Converter

Yves Perriard, Alexis Boegli, Raphaël Johannes Charles Mottet, Morgan Almanza

2019

Drastic breakdown field reduction in multilayer DEA

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Jonathan André Jean-Marie Chavanne, Morgan Almanza

The electrical properties such as the electrical breakdown and the permittivity but also the softness of the elastomer are key factors for the performance of DEA. In order to have the best use of elastomer films, single-layer actuators have been deeply stu ...

2019

High voltage switch for compact bidirectional dc-dc converter driving dielectric electroactive polymer actuators

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Raphaël Johannes Charles Mottet, Morgan Almanza, Lucas Pniak

Driving DEAs requires time-varying high voltage power supplies, up to 18kV for 200um polymer layers. HV amplifiers are commonly used but bulky and expensive. Designing embedded actuators requires compact and efficient powersupplies. Furthermore, only a lit ...

2019

Critical Parasitic Elements of Coupled Inductors for Ultra-High Voltage Flyback Converters Used to Drive Capacitive Actuators

Yves Perriard, Alexis Boegli, Raphaël Johannes Charles Mottet, Morgan Almanza

This paper presents the critical parasitic elements of coupled inductors and their influence when designing a low input (12V) and ultra-high output voltage (>4000V) DC-DC Flyback Converter. The aim is to design a compact converter capable to supply the ult ...

IEEE2019

Design Analysis of a Shape Memory Alloy Bias-Spring Linear Actuator

Yves Perriard, Sean Thomas, Morgan Almanza

This paper aims to adapt the well established Brinson model for the thermoelastic behaviour of the Shape Memory Effect (SME) so as to compare it to a custom shape memory material modelled using an finite element modelling software. In this work, the Brinso ...

IEEE2019

Actuation Displacement Analysis of a Self-Switching Shape Memory Alloy Buckled Beam

Yves Perriard, Yoan René Cyrille Civet, Sean Thomas, Morgan Almanza

This paper aims to simulate using Finite Element Modelling (FEM), a self-activating bistable buckled beam actuator using SMAs. In this work, various parameters such as the dimensions of the beam, shape geometry are studied to determine their effects on the ...

2018