A light-powered self-rotating liquid crystal elastomer drill

H1-99 0301 basic medicine 0303 health sciences Science (General) Liquid crystal elastomer Social sciences (General) Q1-390 Drill Light-powered Self-rotation Fiber Research Article
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27748 Publication Date: 2024-03-15T08:53:22Z
ABSTRACT
Self-oscillating systems can directly convert ambient energy to mechanical work, and new type self-oscillating systems are worth designing for applications in energy harvesters, engines, and actuators. Taking inspiration from the hand drill, we have developed a novel self-rotating drill system, which is consist of a turnplate and a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fiber under steady illumination. To investigate the self-rotating behaviors of the LCE drill, we have proposed a nonlinear theoretical model of the LCE drill under steady illumination based on the well-established dynamic LCE model. Numerical calculation reveals that the LCE drill can undergo a supercritical Hopf bifurcation between the static regime and the self-rotation regime. The self-rotation of drill originates from the contraction of winding portion of LCE fiber in illumination at winding state, and its continuous periodic motion is sustained by the interrelation between light energy and damping dissipation. The Hopf bifurcation conditions are also investigated in detail, as well as the vital system parameters affecting its frequency and amplitude. In contrast to the abundant existing self-oscillating systems, this self-rotating drill stands out due to its simple and lightweight structure, customizable dimensions, and high speed, and thus facilitates the design of compact and integrated systems, enhancing their applicability in microdevices and systems. This bears great significance in fields like micro-robotics, micro-sensors, and medical instruments, enabling the realization of smaller and higher-performance devices.
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