Control-oriented modeling and experimental investigation of a spherical cap dielectric elastomer actuator

Abstract:
This article investigates a pneumatically inflated dielectric elastomer transducer (DET) with a spherical cap geometry. A static lumped-parameter model of the system is derived using the Lagrange formalism. This model relates the inputs pressure and voltage to the membrane deformation. An experimental setup including a pressure chamber and laser displacement sensor is used to characterize the passive mechanical response of the membrane. In addition, a fitting method for the characterization of the hyperelastic Ogden material model is presented in this work, in which strains of up to 150% are investigated. Further measurements with electrical activation quantify the electromechanical coupling. The combina-tion of experimental material analysis with analytical system equations establishes the basis for future control-oriented modeling in microsystems applications.