Introduction:
Electro active polymers can withstand high present in the deep seas. These polymers are used as skins for devices so that the devices with the pressures in the under water. Electro active polymers have benefits of high coupling efficiency and low cost of availability. The electro active polymer shows good characteristics even under pressures upto 100 mpa. In this paper will see the design and the experimental testing of the polymers.
Brief on electro active polymers:
These are used as transducers for high power sonar’s so as to undergo high pressures. The electro active polymers are prepared from elastomeric actuator. These actuators are formed from two flexible elastic electrodes which sandwich an electrically insulated elastomeric. When the voltage is applied in between the electrodes the get squeezed and expand in area. These have high coupling efficiency because of low visco elastic loss and electrical leakages. It has specific density energy of 21 times that of single crystal peizo electric and can withstand maximum strains.
Experimental testing method:
Here a medium size water tank is used in which high pressures are generated. Here the maximum pressure can be 159 mpa and has a supply voltage of 2.74 mpa. It has a flexible transparent membrane which can exert pressure on the polymer. The device is placed in a box and is sealed with silicon oil. The box is placed in the tank which generates the deep sea conditions. A camera is placed in the tank to monitor the active region. By increasing the pressure levels upto 100mpa the strain a measured. By using a micro meter capler the conditions of the active region for different supplied voltages are measured. As the pressure does not make the polymer to show any changes then we can use it for sonar transducers.
Download Electro active Polymer “Artificial Muscle” Operable In Ultra High Hydrostatic Pressure Environment.