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    Propulsion Mechanism of Catalytic Microjet Engines

    Year: 2014

    Journal: IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ROBOTICS, Vol. 30, p 40-48, 20150722

    Authors: Fomin, Vladimir M.; Hippler, Markus; Magdanz, Veronika; Soler, Lluis; Sanchez, Samuel; Schmidt, Oliver G.

    Organizations: Leibniz Inst Solid State & Mat Res Dresden, Inst Integrat Nanosci, D-01069 Dresden, Germany; Tech Univ Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany; Tech Univ Chemnitz, D-09126 Chemnitz, Germany; Tech Univ Dresden, Ctr Adv Elect Dresden, D-01187 Dresden, Germany

    We describe the propulsion mechanism of the catalytic microjet engines that are fabricated using rolled-up nanotech. Microjets have recently shown numerous potential applications in nanorobotics but currently there is a lack of an accurate theoretical model that describes the origin of the motion as well as the mechanism of self-propulsion. The geometric asymmetry of a tubular microjet leads to the development of a capillary force, which tends to propel a bubble toward the larger opening of the tube. Because of this motion in an asymmetric tube, there emerges a momentum transfer to the fluid. In order to compensate this momentum transfer, a jet force acting on the tube occurs. This force, which is counterbalanced by the linear drag force, enables tube velocities of the order of 100 mu m/s. This mechanism provides a fundamental explanation for the development of driving forces that are acting on bubbles in tubular microjets.