Nonlinear large deformation dynamic analysis of electroactive polymer actuators

Electroactive polymers have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to their sensing and actuating properties which make them a material of choice for a wide range of applications including sensors, biomimetic robots, and biomedical micro devices. This paper presents an effective modeling strategy for nonlinear large deformation (small strains and moderate rotations) dynamic analysis of polymer actuators. Considering that the complicated electro-chemo-mechanical dynamics of these actuators is a drawback for their application in functional devices, establishing a mathematical model which can effectively predict the actuator`s dynamic behavior can be of paramount importance. To effectively predict the actuator`s dynamic behavior, a comprehensive mathematical model is proposed correlating the input voltage and the output bending displacement of polymer actuators. The proposed model, which is based on the rigid finite element (RFE) method, consists of two parts, namely electrical and mechanical models. The former is comprised of a ladder network of discrete resistive-capacitive components similar to the network used to model transmission lines, while the latter describes the actuator as a system of rigid links connected by spring-damping elements (sdes). Both electrical and mechanical components are validated through experimental results.

[1]  J. Unsworth,et al.  Technical Review : Conducting Polymer Electronics , 1992 .

[2]  C. H. Nguyen,et al.  Modelling trilayer conjugated polymer actuators for their sensorless position control , 2012 .

[3]  Elisabeth Smela,et al.  Characterization and modeling of PPy bilayer microactuators Part 1. Curvature , 2006 .

[4]  Majid Moavenian,et al.  Modelling and robust control of a soft robot based on conjugated polymer actuators , 2011, Int. J. Model. Identif. Control..

[5]  A. MacDiarmid,et al.  Artificial muscle: electromechanical actuators using polyaniline films , 1994 .

[6]  Victor X. D. Yang,et al.  Analytical modeling of a conducting polymer‐driven catheter , 2010 .

[7]  J. Madden,et al.  An NMR study of PF6− ions in polypyrrole , 2007 .

[8]  G. Wallace,et al.  Fast trilayer polypyrrole bending actuators for high speed applications , 2006 .

[9]  S. Shokat,et al.  電界応答性キトサン-ポリ(N,N-ジメチルアクリルアミド)セミIPNゲル膜およびそれらの誘電,熱および膨潤キャラクタリゼーション , 2013 .

[10]  Debra R. Rolison,et al.  Diffusional charge transport through ultrathin films of radiofrequency plasma polymerized vinylferrocene at low temperature , 1980 .

[11]  Abbas Z. Kouzani,et al.  Electrochemical fabrication and modelling of mechanical behavior of a tri-layer polymer actuator , 2011 .

[12]  Xiaobo Tan,et al.  Redox Level-Dependent Impedance Model for Conjugated Polymer Actuators , 2008 .

[13]  Rachel Z. Pytel,et al.  Artificial muscle technology: physical principles and naval prospects , 2004, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering.

[14]  Akira Fujishima,et al.  Frequency-resolved faradaic processes in polypyrrole films observed by electromodulation techniques : electrochemical impedance and color impedance spectroscopies , 1993 .

[15]  D. Rossi,et al.  Characterization and modelling of a conducting polymer muscle-like linear actuator , 1997 .

[16]  E. Smela.  Conjugated Polymer Actuators for Biomedical Applications , 2003 .

[17]  E. Smela,et al.  Microfabricating conjugated polymer actuators. , 2000, Science.

[18]  Rahim Mutlu,et al.  An effective methodology to solve inverse kinematics of electroactive polymer actuators modelled as active and soft robotic structures , 2013 .

[19]  A. Kaynak.  Effect of synthesis parameters on the surface morphology of conducting polypyrrole films , 1997 .

[20]  Bai Shuang,et al.  ポリ(3,4‐エチレンジオキシチオフェン)/多層カーボンナノチューブ導電性複合材料の調製および性能 , 2014 .

[21]  Xin Zhang,et al.  A multilayer bending model for conducting polymer actuators , 2010 .

[22]  E. Smela,et al.  Controlled Folding of Micrometer-Size Structures , 1995, Science.

[23]  Yang Fang,et al.  A scalable model for trilayer conjugated polymer actuators and its experimental validation , 2007, SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring.