Snap-through actuation of thick-wall electroactive balloons

Snap-through actuation of thick-wall electroactive balloons

Stephan Rudykh ^(a), (c), Kaushik Bhattacharya  ^(c) and Gal deBotton ^(a), (b)

^(a) Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University, 84105 Beer-Sheva, Israel

^(b) Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University, 84105 Beer-Sheva, Israel

^(c) Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, United States

  

Abstract

Solution to the problem of a spherical balloon made out of an electroactive polymer which is subjected to coupled mechanical and electrical excitations is determined. It is found that for certain material behaviors instabilities that correspond to abrupt changes in the balloon size can be triggered. This can be exploited to electrically control different actuation cycles as well as to use the balloon as a micro-pump.

DOI:10.1016/j.ijnonlinmec.2011.05.006