Task feasibility of V shape electrothermal actuators

Abstract

This paper investigates the modeling, design, and task feasibility of V shape electrothermal actuators. In the first part, the force-deflection governing expressions are derived and the actuator performance is analyzed based on these expressions. The influence of the actuator dimensions and properties on its performance is clarified. In the second part, the task feasibility is further investigated. A performance measure is proposed for evaluating the capacity of the actuator to accomplish required tasks depending on the application. This measure is used for finding a feasible configuration and optimized design. A case study is finally presented, showing very good agreement between analytical model and finite element simulations, and demonstrating the robustness of the task feasibility measure.