Patent ID: 8922100

Claim:
A woven active fiber composite, comprising: a plurality of piezoelectric fibers that have been poled by applying an electromagnetic field; and a plurality of conductive wire electrodes configured to transfer electrical energy to and from the actuating fibers; wherein the plurality of conductive wire electrodes comprise a first electrode set and a second electrode set and are interwoven with the plurality of piezoelectric fibers, and wherein the conductive wire electrodes have an electric conductivity that is greater than the electric conductivity of the piezoelectric fibers, and wherein the interwoven conductive wire electrodes and piezoelectric fibers are configured to maintain a piezoelectric potential axially along the piezoelectric fibers between the first electrode set and the second electrode set, and wherein at least one positive conductive strip is attached to ends of the first electrode set and at least one negative conductive strip is attached to ends of the second electrode set.