High-performance electromechanical transduction using laterally-constrained dielectric elastomers part I: Actuation processes

A dielectric elastomer transducer is a deformable capacitor, and is under development as a sensor, actuator, or generator. Among various geometric configurations, laterally-constrained transducer, also known as pure-shear transducer, is easy to implement and effective to couple mechanical force and electrical voltage. This analytical study reveals that lateral pre-stretch enhances actuation, far exceeding previously reported actuation strokes. Laterally-constrained transducers exhibit complex electromechanical behavior. As voltage increases, an actuator may undergo electromechanical instability, or form wrinkles, or suffer electrical breakdown. We survey the behavior of actuators under all possible states of pre-stretches, and identify five modes of actuation. Our analysis predicts that laterally-constrained actuators can achieve actuation stroke of 1000% for an acrylic elastomer, and 230% for natural rubber. This analysis opens the door to design actuators of simple geometry capable of a very large range of electromechanical actuation.