WorldWide ElectroActive Polymers
For many years, electroactive polymers (EAP) received relatively little attention due to the small number of available materials as well as their limited actuation capability.
Electroactive Polymers Actuators↗
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Electroactive Polymers (EAP) Characterization Methods
Electroactive polymers (EAP) are emerging as a new class of actuation materials being considered in a wide range of applications.
Electroactive↗
State-of-the-art developments in the field of electroactive polymers
The paper presents a brief review in the field of electroactive polymers. it outlines the main classes of electroactive polymers, their properties and applications. Current efforts to synthesize electroactive polymers with novel or improved characteristics along with the challenges, opportunities and future research directions in the subject area are discussed.
electroactive polymers↗
Theoretical Evaluation of Electroactive Polymer Based Micropump Diaphragm for Air Flow Control
An electroactive polymer (EAP), high energy electron irradiated poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDFTrFE)] copolymer, based actuation micropump diaphragm (PAMPD) have been developed for air flow control. The displacement strokes and profiles as a function of amplifier and frequency of electric field have been characterized. The volume stroke rates (volume rate) as function of electric field, driving frequency have been theoretically evaluated, too. The PAMPD exhibits high volume rate. It is easily tuned with varying of either amplitude or frequency of the applied electric field. In addition, the performance of the diaphragms were modeled and the agreement between the modeling results and experimental data confirms that the response of the diaphragms follow the design parameters. The results demonstrated that the diaphragm can fit some future aerospace applications to replace the traditional complex mechanical systems, increase the control capability and reduce the weight of the future air dynamic control systems. KEYWORDS: Electroactive polymer (EAP), micropump, diaphragm, actuation, displacement, volume rate, pumping speed, clamping ratio.
Xu, Tian-Bing↗
Electroactive Polymers as Artificial Muscles Changing Robotics Paradigms
For many years, electroactive polymers (EAP) received relatively little attention due to the small number of available materials and their limited actuation capability.
Electroactive polymers robotics actuators↗
Electroactive Polymers as Artificial Muscles - Reality and Challenges
Electroactive Polymers (EAPs) are emerging as effective displacement actuators. These materials offer the closest resemblance of biological muscle potentially enabling unique capabilities changing the paradigm about robots construction. Under a NASA task, several EAP driven mechanisms were developed including dust wiper, gripper, and robotic arm EAP are inducing a low actuation force limiting the applications that can use their current capability. In recognition of this limitation a series of international forums were established including SPIE conference, Webhub, Newsletter, and Newsgroup. A challenge was posed to the EAP community to have an arm wrestling between robot that is equipped with EAP actuators and human.
Bar-Cohen, Y.↗
Preface of the 18th Electroactive Polymers Actuators and Devices
This SPIE’s Electroactive Polymers Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) Conference is the leading international forum for presenting the latest progress and holding discussions among the attendees regarding the capabilities, challenges and potential future directions. The conference this year was Chaired by Yoseph Bar-Cohen, JPL/Caltech, and Co-Chaired by Frédéric Vidal, University de Cergy-Pontoise (France) and it included 128 presentations.
Bar-Cohen, Yoseph↗
Creep-Fatigue Relationsihps in Electroactive Polymer Systems and Predicted Effects in an Actuator Design
The paper concerns the time-dependent behavior of electroactive polymers (EAP) and their use in advanced intelligent structures for space exploration. Innovative actuator design for low weight and low power valves required in small plants planned for use on the moon for chemical analysis is discussed. It is shown that in-depth understanding of cyclic loading effects observed through accelerated creep rates due to creep-fatigue interaction in polymers is critical in terms of proper functioning of EAP based actuator devices. In the paper, an overview of experimental results concerning the creep properties and cyclic creep response of a thin film piezoelectric polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is presented. The development of a constitutive creep-fatigue interaction model to predict the durability and service life of electroactive polymers is discussed. A novel method is proposed to predict damage accumulation and fatigue life of polymers under oyclic loading conditions in the presence of creep. The study provides a basis for ongoing research initiatives at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in the pursuit of new technologies using EAP as active elements for lunar exploration systems.
Vinogradov, Aleksandra M.↗
Electroactive Polymers as Artificial Muscles-Capabilities, Potentials and Challenges
For many years, electroactive polymers (EAP) received relatively little attention due to the small number of available materials and their limited actuation capability.
EAP↗
Electroactive polymers as artificial muscles - reality and challenges
For many years, electroactive polymers (EAP) received reIatively little attention due to the small number of available materials and their limited actuation capability. The recent emergence of EAP materials with large displacement response changed the potential capability and paradigms of these materials. The main attractive characteristic of EAP is their operational similarity to biological muscles, particularly their resilience and ability to induce large actuation strains. Even though the actuation force of existing EAP materials and their robustness require further improvement, there has already been a series of reported successes. The successful applications that were demonstrated include catheter steering element, miniature manipulator, dust-wiper, miniature robotic arm, and grippers. Some of the currently considered applications may be difficult to accomplish and it is important to scope the requirements to the level that current materials can address. Using EAP to replace existing actuators may be a difficult challenge and therefore it is highly desirable to identify a niche application where it would not need to compete with existing capabilities. The application of these materials as actuators to drive various manipulation, mobility and robotic devices involves multidiscipline including materials, chemistry, electro-mechanics, computers, electronics, etc. This paper reviews the current efforts and the expectations for the future.
Bar-Cohen, Yoseph↗
Multilayer Electroactive Polymer Composite Material
An electroactive material comprises multiple layers of electroactive composite with each layer having unique dielectric, electrical and mechanical properties that define an electromechanical operation thereof when affected by an external stimulus. For example, each layer can be (i) a 2-phase composite made from a polymer with polarizable moieties and an effective amount of carbon nanotubes incorporated in the polymer for a predetermined electromechanical operation, or (ii) a 3-phase composite having the elements of the 2-phase composite and further including a third component of micro-sized to nano-sized particles of an electroactive ceramic incorporated in the polymer matrix.
Ounaies, Zoubeida↗
Structural health monitoring system/method using electroactive polymer fibers
A method for monitoring the structural health of a structure of interest by coupling one or more electroactive polymer fibers to the structure and monitoring the electroactive responses of the polymer fiber(s). Load changes that are experienced by the structure cause changes in the baseline responses of the polymer fiber(s). A system for monitoring the structural health of the structure is also provided.
Scott-Carnell, Lisa A.↗
Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Actuation of Mechanisms and Robotic Devices
Actuators are responsible to the operative capability of manipulation systems and robots. In recent years, electroactive polymers (EAP) have emerged as potential alternative to conventional actuators.
EAP Electroactive Polymers Actuators↗
Scaling Laws of Microactuators and Potential Applications of Electroactive Polymers in MEMS
Besides the scale factor that distinguishes the various spices fundamentally biological muscles changes little between species indicating a highly optimized system. Electroactive polymer actuators offer the closest resemblance to biological muscles however beside the large actuation displacement these materials are falling short with regards to the actuation force.
MEMS↗
Effect of Bending Stiffness of the Electroactive Polymer Element on the Performance of a Hybrid Actuator System (HYBAS)
An electroactive polymer (EAP)-ceramic hybrid actuation system (HYBAS) was developed recently at NASA Langley Research Center. This paper focuses on the effect of the bending stiffness of the EAP component on the performance of a HYBAS, in which the actuation of the EAP element can match the theoretical prediction at various length/thickness ratios for a constant elastic modulus of the EAP component. The effects on the bending stiffness of the elastic modulus and length/thickness ratio of the EAP component were studied. A critical bending stiffness to keep the actuation of the EAP element suitable for a rigid beam theory-based modeling was found for electron irradiated P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer. For example, the agreement of experimental data and theoretical modeling for a HYBAS with the length/thickness ratio of EAP element at 375 times is demonstrated. However, the beam based theoretical modeling becomes invalid (i.e., the profile of the HYBAS movement does not follow the prediction of theoretical modeling) when the bending stiffness is lower than a critical value.
Xu, Tian-Bing↗
Electroactive Polymers as Artificial Muscles-Capabilities, Potentials and Challenges
For many years, electroactive polymers (EAP) received relatively little attention due to the small number of available materials and their limited actuation capability.
Leaky↗
Low Mass Muscle Actuators (LoMMAs) Using Electroactive Polymers
NASA is using actuation devices for many space applications and there is an increasing need to cut their cost as well as reduce their size, mass, and power consumption. Existing transducing actuators, such as piezoceramics, are inducing limited displacement levels. Potentially, electroactive polymers (so called EAP) can be formed as inexpensive, low-mass, low-power, miniature muscle actuators that are superior to the widely used actuators.
actuators electroactive polymers active materials↗
Electroactive Polymers (EAP) low Mass Muscle Actuators
Actuation devices are used for many space applications with an increasing need to reduce their size, mass, and power consumption as well as cut their cost. Existing transducing actuators, such as piezoceramics, induce limited displacement levels. Potentially, electroactive polymers (EAP) have the potential for low-mass, low-power, inexpensive miniature muscle actuators that are superior to the widely used actuators.
Electroactive↗