Dr. Van-Tan Truong Profile

Dr. Van-Tan Truong

Defence Senior Scientist at Defence Science and Technology Organisation

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Area of Expertise:

Conducting polymers , Graphene , Carbon nanotubes

My current research interests include the use of (semi) conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes and graphene for IR detection, microwave absorbing, chemical/biological sensors, strain gauges and actuators.

Proceedings Article | 10 April 2008 Paper

Fast bender actuators for fish-like aquatic robots

S. McGovern, G. Spinks, B. Xi, G. Alici, V. Truong, G. Wallace

Proceedings Volume 6927, 69271L (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.784977

KEYWORDS: Actuators, Robots, Polymers, Liquids, Robotics, Polymeric actuators, Ferroelectric polymers, Carbonates, Artificial muscles, Control systems

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Small, highly-mobile "swimming" robots are desired for underwater monitoring operations, including pollution detection, video mapping and other tasks. Actuator materials of all types are of interest for any application where space is limited. This constraint certainly applies to the small-scale swimming robot, where multiple small actuators are needed for forward/backward propulsion, steering and diving/surfacing. A number of previous studies have demonstrated propulsion of floating objects using IPMC type polymer actuators [1-3] or piezoceramic actuators [4, 5]. Here, we show how propulsion is also possible using a multi-layer polypyrrole bimorph actuator. The actuator is based on our previously published work showing very fast resonance actuation in polypyrrole bending-type actuators [6]. The bending actuator is a tri-layer structure, in which the gold-PVDF (porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane) substrate was coated on both sides with polypyrrole layers to form an electrochemical cell. Polypyrrole films on gold coated PVDF were grown galvanostatically at a current density of 0.10 mA/cm2 for 12 hours from propylene carbonate (PC) solution containing 0.1 M Li+TFSI-, 0.1 M pyrrole and 1% (w/w) water. The polypyrrole deposited PVDF was thoroughly rinsed with acetone and stored in 0.1 M Li+TFSI- / PC solution. The edges of the bulk film were trimmed off and the bending actuators were prepared as rectangular strips typically 2mm wide and 25 mm long. These actuators gave fast operation in air (to 90 Hz), and were utilised as active flexural joints on the tail fin of a fishshaped floating "boat". The actuators were attached to a simple truncated shaped fin and the deflection angle was analysed in both air and liquid for excitation with +/- 1V square wave at a range of frequencies. The mechanical resonance of the fin was seen to be 4.5 Hz in air and 0.45 Hz in PC, which gave deflection angles of approximately 60° and 55° respectively. The boat contained a battery, receiver unit and electronic circuit attached to the actuator fin assembly. Thus, the boat could be operated by remote control, and by varying the frequency and duty cycle applied to the actuator, the speed and direction of the boat could be controlled. The boat had a turning circle as small as 15 cm in radius and a maximum speed of 2m/min when operating with a tail frequency of approximately 0.7 Hz. The efficiency of the flapping tail fin was analysed and it was seen that operation at this frequency corresponded with a Strouhal number in the optimal range.

Proceedings Article | 20 December 2006 Paper

Effect of sonication on the mechanical properties of poly (vinyl alcohol)/carbon nanotube composites

Van-Tan Truong, Kelly Tsang, Shannon Keough, Nigel St John

Proceedings Volume 6415, 641503 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.695317

KEYWORDS: Composites, Crystals, Carbon nanotubes, Particles, Polymers, Solar concentrators, Single walled carbon nanotubes, Interfaces, Magnesium, Glasses

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Proceedings Article | 28 February 2005 Paper

Poly(3-methylthiophene)-based electrochemical actuators

Binbin Xi, Van-Tan Truong, Philip Whitten, Jie Ding, Geoffrey Spinks, Gordon Wallace

Proceedings Volume 5649, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.582291

KEYWORDS: Actuators, Polymers, Polymeric actuators, Platinum, Liquids, Polymerization, Electrodes, Ions, Artificial muscles, Oxidation

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Proceedings Article | 28 February 2005 Paper

Actuation behaviour of polyaniline films and tubes prepared by phase inversion technique

Binbin Xi, Van-Tan Truong, Vahid Mottaghitalab, Philip Whitten, Geoffrey Spinks, Gordon Wallace

Proceedings Volume 5649, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.582275

KEYWORDS: Platinum, Actuators, Polymers, Electrodes, Polymeric actuators, Doping, Glasses, Composites, Polymer thin films, Oxidation

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Proceedings Article | 28 July 2003 Paper

Electroactive polymer actuator devices (EAPAD)

Geoffrey Spinks, Gordon Wallace, Jie Ding, Dezhi Zhou, Binbin Xi, Timothy Scott, Van-Tan Truong

Proceedings Volume 5051, (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.484375

KEYWORDS: Actuators, Polymers, Composites, Liquids, Electroactive polymers, Polymeric actuators, Carbon nanotubes, Platinum, Electrodes, Prototyping

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Proceedings Article | 14 November 2002 Paper

Carbon nanotube and polyaniline composite actuators

Van-Tan Truong, May Tehhan, Geoffrey Spinks, Gordon Wallace

Proceedings Volume 4935, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.469073

KEYWORDS: Composites, Actuators, Carbon nanotubes, Coating, Polymers, Ions, Polymeric actuators, Potassium, Magnesium, Electrodes

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