Investigating the Effect of Heat Distribution on the Performance of Silicone-Ethanol Soft Actuator

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

Samaneh Sahebian

mahboubeh Ghasemzadeh namaghi

mohsen haddad sabzevar

hojat Zamyad

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22067/jmme.2025.88021.1149

Abstract

In the present study, a composite soft robot was constructed using silicon as the matrix and ethanol as the phase change material. the activation mechanism of the silicon-ethanol robot is the absorption of heat by ethanol and the creation of vapor pressure in the silicon matrix and, as a result, strain; therefore, the effect of the uniformity of heat distribution in the composite on its response speed was investigated. The results of this study, using electrical excitation testing, weighing with a balance, imaging of the microstructure by FESEM, and processing of images related to the displacement of the samples by MATLAB software, showed that the heat distribution conditions in composite are very important in the speed and life of the composite. The sample with a coil diameter of 1 cm (equal to 34% of the volume of the sample placed inside the coil to the total volume of the sample) had stable performance during different cycles during operation. The difference in temperature between the center and surface of the sample was approximately 21C, and the average response time over three working days was 161s. For the sample with a coil diameter of 0.8cm, the difference in temperature between the surface and the center was 25C, and the average response time over three working days was 165 seconds. For the sample with a coil diameter of 0.5 cm, the difference in temperature between the surface and the center was 95C, and the average response time over three working days was 143s.

Keywords

soft actuator

silicone

phase change material

heat transfer

Subjects

• Advanced Materials

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