Analysis of dielectric elastomer minimum energy structures using dynamic relaxation

This paper focuses on the analysis of dielectric elastomer minimum energy structures (DEMES) using dynamic relaxation. Dynamic relaxation is a well-established explicit numerical form-finding and analysis method. The method has been traditionally employed by architects and civil engineers for the structural design and analysis of pre-stretched structures. However, recent developments have expanded the field of action of the method to include bending-active structures. Dynamic relaxation can be employed for the analysis of adaptive bending-active systems such as DEMES. DEMES are composed of a pre-stretched dielectric elastomer membrane attached to a thin flexible frame. As a result of pre-stress, the frame is elastically deformed generating complex curved shapes. The elastomer employed in DEMES is a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA). DEAs expand when high voltage is applied. Consequently, DEMES can be actively controlled with electric current. DEMES are thus advantageous lightweight bending actuators. Dynamic relaxation with its low computational cost shows great potential for the analysis of these bending-active structures.