Application Cases

Experiment Name: Vibration Isolation Experiment with Dielectric Elastomer Isolator

Test Equipment:
High-voltage amplifier, dielectric elastomer isolator, vibration exciter, DC power supply, acceleration sensor, etc.

Experimental Process:

Figure 1: Vibration Isolation Experimental Platform

The experimental test platform, as shown in Figure 1, consists of two acceleration sensors, a vibration table, a high-voltage amplifier, a DC power supply, a dielectric elastomer isolator, and a numerical analysis system. The lower part of the dielectric elastomer isolator is connected to the vibration exciter via a specialized fixture. An acceleration sensor is fixed on the vibration exciter to collect displacement signals from the excitation end. A weight is fixed to the upper end of the dielectric elastomer isolator, with another acceleration sensor attached to it to collect displacement signals from the vibration isolation protection end.

The test platform allows for the configuration of different excitation frequencies, amplitudes, and signal types for the vibration table output as needed. During testing, the vibration table excites the dielectric elastomer isolator according to the excitation signal, causing the lower end of the isolator to vibrate vertically with the vibration table. The weight on the upper end of the isolator responds with vibrations of varying amplitudes. To study the effect of voltage control signals on the vibration isolation performance of the dielectric elastomer isolator, a DC power supply connected to a high-voltage amplifier applies high-voltage signals to the isolator. The acceleration sensors on the weight and the vibration table collect real-time displacement signals from the vibration isolation protection end and the excitation end, respectively. These signals are processed in an A/D conversion device and finally transmitted to a computer. Users can then fit the data to obtain vibration isolation performance curves of the dielectric elastomer isolator under different excitation voltages and frequencies.

Experimental Results:

Figure 2: Vibration Isolation Performance Results of the Isolator Under DC Voltage Load

The numerical analysis system can display results in real time. The vibration isolation data under different voltages are imported into Excel to plot the transmissibility curves of the dielectric elastomer isolator under varying frequencies and voltages. These are compared with simulation results, as shown in Figure 2.

From Figure 2, it can be observed that the experimental results are approximately consistent with the MATLAB numerical calculation results. The natural frequency of the dielectric elastomer isolator obtained experimentally is slightly higher than the simulated natural frequency. The effective vibration isolation frequency range of the isolator is 50 Hz to 100 Hz, slightly narrower than the simulation results. These findings validate the accuracy of the established dynamic stiffness model. The slightly higher natural frequency in the experimental results is primarily due to manufacturing errors in the dielectric elastomer isolator, including pre-stretch ratio, built-in spring stiffness, and material properties. Additionally, under different DC voltages, the vibration isolation transmissibility of the isolator shows little variation in the same frequency range, indicating that the DC voltage has minimal impact on the system's damping. In summary, this dielectric elastomer isolator exhibits excellent vibration isolation performance under different DC voltage drives, making it suitable for vibration control applications.

Recommended High-Voltage Amplifier: ATA-7050

Figure: ATA-7050 High-Voltage Amplifier Specifications

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