An Electromechanical Coupling Method to Characterize the Dielectric Elastomer's Mechanical Property with High Precision

Abstract

Characterizing the electromechanical coupling deformation feature of the dielectric elastomer (DE) has always been complicate as it works in a large-strained and triaxial-stressed way. Multiple delicate experimental apparatuses have been proposed in the literatures to realize the large range and multi-pattern characterization of DE’s hyperelastic model while they are all too complicate. In this work, by pushing a deeper study on the classical equi-biaxially pre-strained circular DEA (PCDEA), an electromechanical coupling method with high precision and practical convenience is proposed. This method manages to defining and calculating an equivalent electrostatic force in the PCDEA configuration, which enables the import of the PCDEA experimental data into material characterization. Different hyperelastic models are tried with the proposed method and the 2-terms Ogden model performs best in fitting the data. Comprehensive validations are then carried out via DEA with different deformation patterns. The results shows that hyperelastic models characterized with this electromechanical coupling method can predicting voltage-induced deformation quite precisely in multiple deformation patterns, which offers a good guidance for both academic research and engineering application.

Keywords: dielectric elastomer, Hyperelastic characterization, Multiple deformation patterns