Experimental characterization of the hysteretic and rate-dependent electromechanical behavior of dielectric electro-active polymer actuators

Dielectric electro-active polymers (DEAPs) can achieve substantial deformation (>300% strain) while sustaining, compared to their ionic counterparts, large forces. This makes them attractive for various actuation and sensing applications such as in light weight and energy efficient valve and pump...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Smart materials and structures 2010-09, Vol.19 (9), p.094014-094014
Main Authors: York, A, Dunn, J, Seelecke, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actuators
Dielectrics
Dynamic tests
Dynamical systems
Dynamics
Electric potential
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Hysteresis
Measurement and testing methods
Physics
Solid mechanics
Structural and continuum mechanics
Sustaining
Weight reduction
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Summary:Dielectric electro-active polymers (DEAPs) can achieve substantial deformation (>300% strain) while sustaining, compared to their ionic counterparts, large forces. This makes them attractive for various actuation and sensing applications such as in light weight and energy efficient valve and pumping systems. Many applications operate DEAP actuators at higher frequencies where rate-dependent effects influence their performance. This motivates the seeking of dynamic characterization of these actuators beyond the quasi-static regime. This paper provides a systematic experimental investigation of the quasi-static and dynamic electromechanical properties of a DEAP actuator. In order to completely characterize the fully coupled behavior, force versus displacement measurements at various constant voltages and force versus voltage measurements at various fixed displacements are conducted. The experiments are conducted with a particular focus on the hysteretic and rate-dependent material behavior. These experiments provide insight into the electrical dynamics and viscoelastic relaxation inherent in DEAP actuators. This study is intended to provide information, including high frequency performance analysis, useful to anyone designing dynamic actuator systems using DEAPs.
ISSN:0964-1726
1361-665X
DOI:10.1088/0964-1726/19/9/094014