Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
35
2 mm thickness, 15 mm effective length,
5 mm width, and 0.32 g mass
30
6 V (E = 3 V/mm)
4 V (E = 2 V/mm)
2 V (E = 1 V/mm)
25
20
15
10
5
0
−
5
0
2
3
4
1
Time (sec)
5
4
3
3 V/mm
2
2 V/mm
1 V/mm
1
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
F
T
(g)
FIGURE 3.61
Force responses of the solution recast IPMNC sample (top) and its conjugated
graph showing tip displacement
δ
T
versus blocking force,
F
T
(bottom). Note that the frequency
is 0.5 Hz and step voltages of 2, 4, and 6 V were applied.
Dramatic improvement has been made to fabricate a new generation of IPMNCs
with much improved performance by blocking the water leakage out of the surface
electrodes by compliant surface electrodes. The overall thermodynamic efficiencies
of all IPMNCs tested in a frequency range of 0.1-50 Hz now is comparable to
biological muscles. It should be noted that the obtained values for efficiency are
favorable, realizing that other types of bending actuators—that is, conducting poly-
mers and piezoelectric materials at similar conditions—exhibit considerably lower
efficiencies (Wang et al., 1999).
