학술논문
Electroactive Elastomeric Actuator for All-Polymer Linear Peristaltic Pumps
Document Type
Periodical
Author
Source
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. Mechatronics, IEEE/ASME Transactions on. 15(3):460-470 Jun, 2010
Subject
Language
ISSN
1083-4435
1941-014X
1941-014X
Abstract
This paper describes the concept of a lightweight and deformable structure with intrinsic distributed electromechanical actuation, potentially suitable to develop soft linear peristaltic pumps for incompressible fluids. The proposed system is represented by a series of radially expanding flexible tubular modules, made of dielectric elastomers (DEs), as one of the most promising classes of electroactive polymers for actuation. Each module consists of a cylindrical hollow DE actuator, working in purely radial mode with specific boundary constraints. The static electromechanical transduction performance of such a module was investigated analytically, numerically, and experimentally. For this purpose, predictions obtained from an analytical model, derived in the hypothesis of linear elasticity, were compared with those provided by a finite-element method. Both models were validated by means of a comparison with experimental data, obtained from a silicone-made prototype module. Results permitted to obtain a simple tool of simulation, suitable to predict the performance of the system in terms of both displaced volume and driving pressure, as a function of the material elastic modulus and the applied voltage.