We utilize a nonlinear, dynamic finite element model coupled with a finite deformation viscoelastic constitutive law to study the inhomogeneous deformation and instabilities resulting from the application of a constant voltage to dielectric elastomers. The constant voltage loading is used to study electrostatically driven creep and the resulting electromechanical instabilities for two different cases that have all been experimentally observed, i.e., electromechanical snap-through instability and bursting drops in a dielectric elastomer. We find that in general, increasing the viscoelastic relaxation time leads to an increase in time needed to nucleate the electromechanical instability. However, we find for these two cases that the time needed to nucleate the instability scales with the relaxation time.
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Research-Article
Electrostatically Driven Creep in Viscoelastic Dielectric Elastomers
Jin Wang,
Jin Wang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Boston University
,Boston, MA 02215
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Thao D. Nguyen,
Thao D. Nguyen
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The Johns Hopkins University
,Baltimore, MD 21218
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Harold S. Park
Harold S. Park
1
1Corresponding author.
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Jin Wang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Boston University
,Boston, MA 02215
Thao D. Nguyen
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The Johns Hopkins University
,Baltimore, MD 21218
Harold S. Park
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Applied Mechanics Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF APPLIED MECHANICS. Manuscript received October 20, 2013; final manuscript received November 4, 2013; accepted manuscript posted November 11, 2013; published online December 10, 2013. Editor: Yonggang Huang.
J. Appl. Mech. May 2014, 81(5): 051006 (5 pages)
Published Online: December 10, 2013
Article history
Received:
October 20, 2013
Revision Received:
November 4, 2013
Accepted:
November 11, 2013
Citation
Wang, J., Nguyen, T. D., and Park, H. S. (December 10, 2013). "Electrostatically Driven Creep in Viscoelastic Dielectric Elastomers." ASME. J. Appl. Mech. May 2014; 81(5): 051006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4025999
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