TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimization of Load-driven Soft Dielectric Elastomer Generators
AU - Bortot, Eliana
AU - Springhetti, Roberta
AU - DeBotton, Gal
AU - Gei, Massimiliano
N1 - Funding Information:
EB acknowledges the support of IUTAM for a travel support grant. MG acknowledges ESNAM (European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles) COST Action MP1003 for supporting STSM no. 16757.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 The Authors.
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - The performance of energy harvesting generators based on dielectric elastomers is investigated in this contribution. The amount of energy extracted by a four-step load-driven cycle is constrained by structural instabilities due to the loss of tension, the electric breakdown and the ultimate stretch ratio. To identify the optimal cycle complying with these limits, we formulate a constraint optimization problem proving the dependency of the generator performance on the ultimate stretch ratio and, moreover, a universal limit on the dielectric strength beyond which the optimal cycle is independent of this parameter. Thus, we reveal that there is an upper bound on the amount of harvested energy that depends only on the ultimate stretch ratio.
AB - The performance of energy harvesting generators based on dielectric elastomers is investigated in this contribution. The amount of energy extracted by a four-step load-driven cycle is constrained by structural instabilities due to the loss of tension, the electric breakdown and the ultimate stretch ratio. To identify the optimal cycle complying with these limits, we formulate a constraint optimization problem proving the dependency of the generator performance on the ultimate stretch ratio and, moreover, a universal limit on the dielectric strength beyond which the optimal cycle is independent of this parameter. Thus, we reveal that there is an upper bound on the amount of harvested energy that depends only on the ultimate stretch ratio.
KW - Energy harvesting
KW - electro-active polymers
KW - electroelasticity
KW - optimization
KW - smart materials
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84957865050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.piutam.2014.12.006
DO - 10.1016/j.piutam.2014.12.006
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:84957865050
SN - 2210-9838
VL - 12
SP - 42
EP - 51
JO - Procedia IUTAM
JF - Procedia IUTAM
T2 - IUTAM Symposium on Mechanics of Soft Active Materials, SAM 2014
Y2 - 12 May 2014 through 15 May 2014
ER -