Zhao Jun, Sun Yiqing, Dai Yuntong, Wu Jing, Li Kai
School of Civil Engineering, <a href="https://ror.org/0108wjw08">Anhui Jianzhu University</a>, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China.
<a href="https://ror.org/01m8p7q42">Dongguan University of Technology</a>, Dongguan 523808, China.
Phys Rev E. 2024 May;109(5-1):054704. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.109.054704.
Optically responsive liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) devices have thriving potential to flourish in soft robots and microdrives, owing to their advantages of remote controllability, structural simplicity, and no power supply. In terms of illumination-driven modes, most research has focused on the dynamic response of LCE devices under continuous and periodic illumination, while the theoretical study of the dynamic response under moving illumination is limited. In this paper, based on the coupling of LCE and mechanical deformation under moving illumination, the dynamic model of a LCE simply supported beam is built to investigate its dynamic response under moving illumination. The analytical solution of the dynamic response of the LCE beam under moving illumination is derived through the modal superposition method and the Duhamel integration, and the solution is programed and analyzed with matlab software. By numerical calculations, the influence of the internal and driving parameters of the structure on the dynamic response of the LCE simply supported beam can be analyzed. The results show that when the moving speed of illumination reaches the first-order critical frequency, the maximum amplitude of the dynamic response at the beam mid-span will reach a peak. Meanwhile, the dynamic response of beam can be improved by increasing the illumination width, increasing the light intensity, increasing the shrinkage coefficient, and reducing the damping coefficient. This work provides theoretical guidance for applying the dynamic response of LCE devices under moving illumination in soft robots, microactuators, energy harvesters, sensors, etc.
光学响应型液晶弹性体（LCE）器件由于具有远程可控性、结构简单且无需电源等优点，在软机器人和微驱动器领域有着蓬勃发展的潜力。在光照驱动模式方面，大多数研究集中在LCE器件在连续和周期性光照下的动态响应，而对移动光照下动态响应的理论研究有限。本文基于移动光照下LCE与机械变形的耦合，建立了LCE简支梁的动力学模型，以研究其在移动光照下的动态响应。通过模态叠加法和杜哈梅积分推导了移动光照下LCE梁动态响应的解析解，并利用matlab软件对该解进行编程和分析。通过数值计算，可以分析结构的内部参数和驱动参数对LCE简支梁动态响应的影响。结果表明，当光照移动速度达到一阶临界频率时，梁跨中动态响应的最大振幅将达到峰值。同时，通过增加光照宽度、提高光强度、增大收缩系数和减小阻尼系数，可以改善梁的动态响应。这项工作为将LCE器件在移动光照下的动态响应应用于软机器人、微致动器、能量收集器、传感器等提供了理论指导。
