For more information about this meeting, contact Chun Liu.
| Title: | Finite Element Simulation of Liquid Crystal Elastomers |
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| Seminar: | CCMA PDEs and Numerical Methods Seminar Series |
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| Speaker: | Robin Selinger, Kent State University |
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| Abstract: |
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| Finite Element Simulation of Liquid Crystal Elastomers:
Modeling Actuators, Pumps, and Robots
Robin L. B. Selinger
Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
Liquid crystal elastomers, sometimes called "artificial muscles,"
combine the elastic properties of rubber with the molecular order
properties of liquid crystals. These soft actuators undergo strains of
several hundred percent in response to changes in molecular
orientational order. We present a novel simulation technique to model
their shape change dynamics in three dimensions using finite element
methods. The heart of the model is a Hamiltonian-based elastodynamics
algorithm which includes coupling between strain and molecular
orientational order. We use this approach to predict shape change
induced by the isotropic/nematic transition and, in dye-doped
materials, by exposure to light. Applying a wavelike modulation to the
nematic order parameter, e.g. by heating the sample nonuniformly,
induces mechanical undulation. We exploit this phenomenon to design
and model prototype peristaltic pumps (e.g. for microfluidics
applications) and self-propelled soft robots. We also present
preliminary results on simulation studies of soft elastic response and
microstructural evolution under applied strain. The long-term goal of
this work is to build a bridge between basic soft matter theory and
practical materials engineering/device design. Work supported by the
US National Science Foundation DMR-0605889. |
Room Reservation Information
| Room Number: | MB216 |
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| Date: | 11 / 05 / 2007 |
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| Time: | 03:35pm - 04:25pm |
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