Nonlinear vibration of dielectric elastomer incorporating strain stiffening

Nonlinear oscillation of a dielectric elastomer balloon

Much of the existing literature on dielectric elastomers has focused on quasi-static deformation. However, in some potential applications, the elastomer deforms at high frequencies and undergoes nonlinear oscillation. While nonlinear oscillation has been studied in many areas of science and engineering, we are unaware of any theoretical analysis of nonlinear oscillation of dielectric elastomers...

Maximizing strain in miniaturized dielectric elastomer actuators

We present a theoretical model to optimise the unidirectional motion of a rigid object bonded to a miniaturized dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA), a configuration found for example in AMI’s haptic feedback devices, or in our tuneable RF phase shifter. Recent work has shown that unidirectional motion is maximized when the membrane is both anistropically prestretched and subjected to a dead loa...

Nonlinear deformation analysis of a dielectric elastomer membrane–spring system

Due to their large strain capability, dielectric elastomers are promising materials for application as transducers in cameras, robots, valves, pumps, energy harvesters, and so on. The dielectric elastomer transducers are based on the deformation of a soft polymer membrane contracting in thickness and expanding in area, induced by the application of a voltage across the two compliant electrodes ...

Dielectric Elastomers Conductive Elastomer Insulating Elastomer

Helical dielectric elastomer actuators

This paper presents a new type of contractile polymer-based electromechanical linear actuator. The device belongs to the class of dielectric elastomer actuators, which are typically capable of undergoing large deformations induced by an applied electric field. It is based on a novel helical configuration, suitable for the generation of electrically driven axial contractions and radial expansion...