Dynamic performance of a dielectric elastomer balloon actuator

A dielectric elastomer is able to act as an actuator when it is subject to an electric field. This paper deals with the theoretical analysis of a dielectric elastomer balloon actuator that is driven by a fixed mass of high-pressure air inside and the periodic voltage applied across the balloon wall. The equation of motion involving high nonlinearity is derived and the dynamic response of the balloon subject to a combination of pressure and periodic voltage is presented. Considering the allowable deformation of a dielectric elastomer is strictly limited by the material failures, this paper proposes a novel concept of the actuation capability of a dielectric elastomer balloon actuator concerning not only quasi-static states but also dynamic states, and analyzes the effect that the material failures exert on the actuation capability in terms of various operating conditions of the balloon actuator. The simulation results demonstrate that the operation conditions of the balloon actuator have a considerable impact on the actuation capability. This new concept offers a significant guidance for the dynamics applications of the balloon actuator and is applicable to other types of dielectric elastomer actuators.