A circuit to model an Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite as actuator

Author

Bonomo, C. ; Fortuna, L. ; Graziani, S. ; Mazza, D.

Author_Institution

Dipt. di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e dei Sistemi, Univ. degli Studi di Catania, Italy

Volume

4

fYear

2004

fDate

23-26 May 2004

Abstract

The electrical behavior of an Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) is investigated. IPMCs are new materials of increasing interest in robotic applications, to implement artificial muscles. They are particularly light and they deform if electrically stimulated with a very low voltage. The paper illustrates a model that describes the electrical response of an IPMC as actuator by using an equivalent circuit. It is a totally new nonlinear lamped parameter model which is able to describe all the phenomena observed in the electrical current through the material, including hysteretic phenomena. The model has been validated by a large number of comparisons between simulations and experimental data. In all the cases analyzed the simulations agree with experimental data.

Keywords

composite materials; electric current; electrical conductivity; equivalent circuits; ionic conductivity; piezoelectric actuators; polymers; actuator; artificial muscles; electrical conduction; electrical current; electrical model; equivalent circuit model; hysteretic phenomena; ionic polymer-metal composite; nonlinear lamped parameter model; robotic applications; Actuators; Anodes; Biomembranes; Electrodes; Equivalent circuits; Hysteresis; Low voltage; Polymers; Protection switching; Robots;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Circuits and Systems, 2004. ISCAS '04. Proceedings of the 2004 International Symposium on

Print_ISBN

0-7803-8251-X

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ISCAS.2004.1329141

Filename

1329141