Finite element modeling of the sensing and energy harvesting performance in ionic polymer metal composites

Abstract

Ionic Polymer Metal Composite (IPMC) is an Electro-Active Polymer (EAP) that is used as an electro-mechanical sensor and being investigated as an energy harvester. The IPMC transducer is proved to be inefficient as an energy harvester due to the small amount of voltage it generates when deformed. This study explores this problem by developing a fully-coupled 2D mechano-chemo-electrical finite element model that predicts the sensing behaviour in IPMC. The electrochemical element is modelled based on the Nernst-Planck and Poisson’s equations. The chemo-mechanical coupling is due to the change in the concentration of ions upon deforming the sensor. This paper is focused on developing methods to control the amount of voltage and current the IPMC sensor can generate. The developed FEM model is used to assess the effects of increasing the thickness of the transducer and of manipulating the architecture of the high surface area electrodes. The IPMC transducer is simulated and experimentally tested using two electrical boundary conditions: the open circuit voltage or the short circuit current. All numerical results are supported by experimental data. The results are shown to be in good agreement with model predictions. © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.