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The energy flow and mechanical modeling of soft chemo-mechanical machines.

Authors :
Chen, Liyuan
Xue, Yaoting
Chen, Weijia
Zhang, Mingqi
Chen, Xiangping
Cao, Xunuo
Zhang, Zhen
Li, Guorui
Li, Tiefeng
Source :
Journal of Applied Physics; 2018, Vol. 124 Issue 16, pN.PAG-N.PAG, 7p, 4 Diagrams, 3 Graphs
Publication Year :
2018

Abstract

Soft chemo-mechanical (SCM) machines convert chemical energy into mechanical energy. They have the advantages of fast actuation and compliant deformation and possess wide applications in soft robots and flexible smart devices. Using experiments and theoretical modeling, this paper investigates the chemo-mechanical energy flows and the energy conversion cycle in the pressure and volume (P–V) plane of an SCM machine consisting of a soft membrane and cylindrical chambers. The machine generates 16.1 mJ of mechanical energy per cycle. We study heat dissipation as the key issue affecting the conversion efficiency. The states of the conversion cycle calculated from mechanical modeling fit well with those measured experimentally. The design principles and the theoretical methods can be used to guide the fabrication and characterization of SCM actuators and robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00218979
Volume :
124
Issue :
16
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Journal of Applied Physics
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
132787163
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5050415