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Verification of beam models for ionic polymer-metal composite actuator

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Abstract

Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) can work as an actuator by applying a few voltages. A thick IPMC actuator, where Nafion-117 membrane was synthesized with polypyrrole/alumina composite filler, was analyzed to verify the equivalent beam and equivalent bimorph beam models. The blocking force and tip displacement of the IPMC actuator were measured with a DC power supply and Young’s modulus of the IPMC strip was measured by bending and tensile tests respectively. The calculated maximum tip displacement and the Young’s modulus by the equivalent beam model were almost identical to the corresponding measured data. Finite element analysis with thermal analogy technique was utilized in the equivalent bimorph beam model to numerically reproduce the force-displacement relationship of the IPMC actuator. The results by the equivalent bimorph beam model agreed well with the force-displacement relationship acquired by the measured data. It is confirmed that the equivalent beam and equivalent bimorph beam models are practically and effectively suitable for predicting the tip displacement, blocking force and Young’s modulus of IPMC actuators with different thickness and different composite of ionic polymer membrane.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Artificial Muscle Research Center, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143701, Korea

    Ai-hong Ji, Hoon Cheol Park, Quoc Viet Nguyen & Young Tai Yoo

  2. Department of Advanced Technology Fusion, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143701, Korea

    Hoon Cheol Park

  3. Department of Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143701, Korea

    Jang Woo Lee & Young Tai Yoo

  4. Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210019, P. R. China

    Ai-hong Ji

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  1. Ai-hong Ji
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  2. Hoon Cheol Park
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  3. Quoc Viet Nguyen
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  4. Jang Woo Lee
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  5. Young Tai Yoo
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Correspondence to Hoon Cheol Park.

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Ji, Ah., Park, H.C., Nguyen, Q.V. et al. Verification of beam models for ionic polymer-metal composite actuator. J Bionic Eng 6, 232–238 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1672-6529(08)60117-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1672-6529(08)60117-1

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