Patent ID: 8823221

Claim:
An apparatus for optimizing a magnetostrictive actuator, the apparatus comprising: a Galfenol-type elongated magnetostrictive bar; an elongated ferrous frame having a rectangular section, the rectangular section comprising; a bottom plate region, a first side plate region, a second side plate region, and a top plate region comprising, a first projecting portion extending laterally from a top portion of the first side plate, and a second projecting portion extending laterally from a top portion of the second side plate, wherein each of the first and second projecting portions extend towards each other in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom plate region, wherein the first and second projecting portions do not meet, thereby leaving a gap between the first and second projecting portions, the Galfenol-type elongated magnetostrictive bar extending within the gap, a first electrical coil looping around the bottom plate region of the elongated ferrous frame, so that when the first electrical coil is actuated a high strength magnetic field extends axially across the gap along substantially the entire length of the Galfenol-type elongated magnetostrictive bar; a second electrical coil, orthogonal to the first coil, looping around the Galfenol-type elongated magnetostrictive bar within the gap, so that when the second electrical coil is actuated a high strength magnetic field extends longitudinally within the gap along substantially the entire length of the Galfenol-type elongated magnetostrictive bar; and a controller for actuating each of the first and the second electrical coils.