Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for bimorph soft robot based on thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers

doi:10.1007/s10483-019-2495-8

Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition) ›› 2019, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (7): 943-952.doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10483-019-2495-8

Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for bimorph soft robot based on thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers

Yun CUI¹, Yafei YIN¹, Chengjun WANG², K. SIM³, Yuhang LI^1,4, Cunjiang YU^5,6,7, Jizhou SONG²

1. Institute of Solid Mechanics, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;
2. Department of Engineering Mechanics, Soft Matter Research Center, Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China;
3. Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.;
4. State Key Laboratory of Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China;
5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.;
6. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.;
7. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.

收稿日期:2018-12-09 修回日期:2019-01-19 出版日期:2019-07-01 发布日期:2019-07-01
通讯作者: Yuhang LI, Cunjiang YU, Jizhou SONG E-mail:liyuhang@buaa.edu.cn;cyu15@uh.edu;jzsong@zju.edu.cn
基金资助:
Project supported by the National Basic Research Program (No. 2015CB351901), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11372272, 11622221, 11621062, 11502009, and 11772030), the Doctoral New Investigator Grant from American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund of the National Science Foundation (Nos. 1509763 and 1554499), the Opening Fund of State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an Jiaotong University (No. SV2018-KF-13), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2017XZZX002-11)

Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for bimorph soft robot based on thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers

Yun CUI¹, Yafei YIN¹, Chengjun WANG², K. SIM³, Yuhang LI^1,4, Cunjiang YU^5,6,7, Jizhou SONG²

1. Institute of Solid Mechanics, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;
2. Department of Engineering Mechanics, Soft Matter Research Center, Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China;
3. Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.;
4. State Key Laboratory of Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China;
5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.;
6. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.;
7. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, U. S. A.

Received:2018-12-09 Revised:2019-01-19 Online:2019-07-01 Published:2019-07-01
Contact: Yuhang LI, Cunjiang YU, Jizhou SONG E-mail:liyuhang@buaa.edu.cn;cyu15@uh.edu;jzsong@zju.edu.cn
Supported by:
Project supported by the National Basic Research Program (No. 2015CB351901), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11372272, 11622221, 11621062, 11502009, and 11772030), the Doctoral New Investigator Grant from American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund of the National Science Foundation (Nos. 1509763 and 1554499), the Opening Fund of State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an Jiaotong University (No. SV2018-KF-13), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2017XZZX002-11)

摘要/Abstract

摘要： Thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold great promise in applications of soft robots and actuators because of the induced size and shape change with temperature. Experiments have successfully demonstrated that the LCE based bimorphs can be effective soft robots once integrated with soft sensors and thermal actuators. Here, we present an analytical transient thermo-mechanical model for a bimorph structure based soft robot, which consists of a strip of LCE and a thermal inert polymer actuated by an ultra-thin stretchable open-mesh shaped heater to mimic the unique locomotion behaviors of an inchworm. The coupled mechanical and thermal analysis based on the thermo-mechanical theory is carried out to underpin the transient bending behavior, and a systematic understanding is therefore achieved. The key analytical results reveal that the thickness and the modulus ratio of the LCE and the inert polymer layer dominate the transient bending deformation. The analytical results will not only render fundamental understanding of the actuation of bimorph structures, but also facilitate the rational design of soft robotics.

关键词: hollow cylinder, cosine pressure, analytic solution, transient thermo-mechanical analysis, soft robot, thermal-responsive, liquid crystal elastomer (LCE)

Abstract: Thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold great promise in applications of soft robots and actuators because of the induced size and shape change with temperature. Experiments have successfully demonstrated that the LCE based bimorphs can be effective soft robots once integrated with soft sensors and thermal actuators. Here, we present an analytical transient thermo-mechanical model for a bimorph structure based soft robot, which consists of a strip of LCE and a thermal inert polymer actuated by an ultra-thin stretchable open-mesh shaped heater to mimic the unique locomotion behaviors of an inchworm. The coupled mechanical and thermal analysis based on the thermo-mechanical theory is carried out to underpin the transient bending behavior, and a systematic understanding is therefore achieved. The key analytical results reveal that the thickness and the modulus ratio of the LCE and the inert polymer layer dominate the transient bending deformation. The analytical results will not only render fundamental understanding of the actuation of bimorph structures, but also facilitate the rational design of soft robotics.

Key words: hollow cylinder, cosine pressure, analytic solution, soft robot, transient thermo-mechanical analysis, liquid crystal elastomer (LCE), thermal-responsive

中图分类号:

Yun CUI, Yafei YIN, Chengjun WANG, K. SIM, Yuhang LI, Cunjiang YU, Jizhou SONG. Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for bimorph soft robot based on thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers[J]. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition), 2019, 40(7): 943-952.

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Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for bimorph soft robot based on thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers

Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for bimorph soft robot based on thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers

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