Viscoelastic deformation of a dielectric elastomer membrane subject to electromechanical loads

Abstract

Inhomogenous viscoelastic deformation is analyzed for a membrane of dielectric elastomer mounting on a rigid circular ring and subject to a combination of pressure and voltage. The membrane is assumed to be capable of large deformation, and the viscoelasticity of the membrane is represented by a nonlinear spring-dashpot model. It is found that when the applied pressure and voltage are small, the dielectric membrane gradually evolves to an equilibrium state. While if the applied pressure and voltage are large, the membrane cannot reach equilibrium state and electromechanical instability may happen with the time. The evolution of different fields in the dielectric elastomer membrane and its profile are calculated in this article. The model can be potentially used to explore time dependent behaviors of dielectric elastomeric devices. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.