Wrinkling behavior of an inflated dielectric elastomer balloon

Abstract eng:
Wrinkles are often observed in a dielectric elastomer membrane when it is pre-stretched, inflated and then electromechanically activated. In this study, a hybrid experimental and analytical study is conducted to investigate the role of various parameters, i.e., the initial pre-stretch, initial inflation pressure and applied voltage, on the wrinkling behavior of an inflated dielectric elastomer balloon, such as the nucleation sites, critical voltage and type of wrinkles. Snap-through instability and electrical breakdown of the activated membrane are also analysed. Three-dimensional phase diagrams that delineate the different operation conditions of the activated dielectric elastomer membrane are constructed to aid designing soft actuators.

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