Session: IMECE Undergraduate Research and Design Exposition

Paper Number: 114196

114196 - Soft Robotics – Application of Dielectric Elastomer Actuators for a Pump Design 

Traditional robots are made with rigid material and therefore lack flexibility and adaptability. Due to these disadvantages, Soft Robotics has gained interest in recent decades for applications that require lightweight, flexible materials. Soft Robotics use the inherent flexibility of compliant materials to produce complex, adaptable movement for use in a wide array of fields including medicine, imaging, exploration and electronics. However, compliant materials present limitations for actuation force and displacement magnitudes, and challenges for the calculations and modeling of the complex, multiple degree-of-freedom actuation motion. Dielectric Elastomers (DEs) are a type of Soft Actuators that utilize the Dielectric Effect and Maxwell Stress to induce expansion in compliant materials. DEs are of interest because of their fast response time, high actuation strain, and high energy density. Due to these advantages, DEs have become a promising material in the field of Soft Robotics and have been selected as the material type for the design presented in this work. This paper presents the design of a novel DE actuated pump based on a two-valve, in-line configuration. The pump design features two double-cone antagonistically, rigidly coupled DE actuators positioned in opposition from one another. The pumping effect is produced by the pressure difference that the enclosed area experiences as it undergoes impressive volume change caused by the expansion and contraction of the DE actuators. Three main challenges must be addressed for optimal implementation of the design. The first challenge is selection of an appropriate DE material to minimize the voltage requirements for desired actuation force and displacement. There are three main categories of DEs: Acrylics, Silicones, and Polyurethanes(PUs). Acrylics are the most common due to their off-the-shelf availability. In this paper, all three types of DEs are used with the design and tested for comparison. The second challenge is the optimization of the DE expansion to volume change ratio to maximize the pumping effect. Calculations are used in order to determine actuator dimensions to maximize flow rate, but due to the complexity of the actuation, more in-depth computer simulations might be required. The third challenge is the selection of compliant electrodes to enhance power delivery. Electrode compliance has a major part in accomplishing large actuation deformation. The more compliant the electrode, the more the actuator can stretch. In opposition to this, the more compliant the electrode, the less power delivery it is able to achieve. Further investigation into soft materials will lead to remarkable breakthroughs in the bioengineering and medical fields in the future. Soft actuators can be used for synthetic muscle, intestines, and blood vessels, as well as vital organs. The objective of this work is to contribute towards the pinnacle goal of developing a fully synthetic human heart. 

Presenting Author: Colton Henry Texas A&M University Texarkana

Presenting Author Biography: C. Henry is an innovative mechanical engineering undergraduate student attending Texas A and M University-Texarkana, were he founded the ASME organization at the school. He took part in the 18th Annual TAMUS Student Research Symposium in Galveston and is currently working with New Millennium Building Systems to develop an automated channel stacker. His future plans include an internship at Graphic Packaging International and pursuing graduate studies.

Authors:

Colton Henry Texas A&M University Texarkana
Sulaman Pashah Texas A&M University Texarkana