Soft Metal Hydride Actuator as a Rescue Jack Using Accessible Heat Sources

We investigate the effect of heating temperature and heating method on the operation of a soft metal hydride actuator as a rescue jack for application in emergency situations. The actuator is operative with heat of around 50–80 °C and does not require electricity or physical exertion of an operator. The operation time can be tuned by adjusting the heating temperature and/or the amount of hydrogen-absorbing alloy, with faster operation observed at higher operating temperatures and with greater amounts of alloy. Suitable candidates for the heat source of the proposed rescue jack for practical use were examined, with quicklime being the most practical from the perspective of storability, simplicity, and heating efficiency. With 15 g of alloy and quicklime heat source, the jack successfully jacked a weight of 100 kg by 50 mm within a minute without electricity or human power.