In recent decades, dielectric elastomers (DE) have emerged as a promising transducing principle for various applications. They promise to be lightweight, efficient, and affordable alternatives to conventional electrodynamic or piezoelectric transducers and show large deformations at fast rates. In this work a loudspeaker concept is proposed, which relies on the elastic instability of a DE membrane. A multilayered DE membrane is clamped in a circular ring. Upon applying a DC voltage, its area increases, and themembrane buckles up. A superimposed signal voltage induces vibration and generates sound. To model the device mechanically, a system of partial differential equations is derived from Hamilton's principle. The mechanical model is then coupled to the linear assumed electrical and acoustical domains. Static, dynamic, and acoustic experiments on buckling DE transducers of three different diameters (10, 15, and 20 mm) and different thicknesses (0.4mmto 0.6 mm) as multilayer configurations are conducted to validate the model. Sound pressure levels of about 70 dB above 1 kHz are reached. Small loudspeakers like this may find application in mobile or array systems.
https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=22012
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Learn more about the AES E-Library
Start a discussion about this paper!
