The Tension Piston, developed at the Wyss Institute and MIT CSAIL, amplifies piston force and increases energy efficiency by using flexible materials to transmit fluid-induced tension. The Tension Piston is able to produce substantially greater force compared to a conventional piston at the same driving pressure. Tension Pistons can be used in pumps, engines, compressors, shock absorbers, or energy storage devices to convert force/torque into fluidic pressure/energy.
Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University