ELECTROMECHANICAL MODEL OF DIELECTRIC ELASTOMER TRANSDUCERS

Abstract

Dielectric Elastomers (DE) considered as smart materials have increasing popularity in the scientific community. Despite a multitude of presented applications and devises based on DE, there is no standard model to describe them as transducers. Thus, their design is in general often time-consuming. To describe the operational behavior, mostly material equations describing the materials energy state through strain and stress are utilized. The driving mechanism is expressed through the commonly known Maxwell-pressure which is the result of the energy balance. This often-used approach is sufficient for quasistatic applications.Yet when considering the dynamic regime, a description of the locally effective directional forces is necessary. We propose an expansion to the existing modelling approach. Deepening the view on force mechanisms of electrostatic actuators and incorporating the solid body properties of elastomers into consideration. Thus, we gain a network description for dielectric elastomers as reversible electromechanical transducers near an operating point. The network model, allows for a sped-up design and simulation process, especially in the development of dynamic applications. Our findings are supported findings from previous literature and FEM-simulations.