An electromechanical coupling fractional-order constitutive model for dielectric elastomers with temperature and strain rate dependence
摘要
Dielectric elastomers (DEs) exhibit significant electromechanical coupling deformation, which are simultaneously influenced by temperature and strain rate. This paper integrates an electrically equivalent Maxwell stress term into the fractional viscoelastic mechanical framework, thereby constructing a one-dimensional electromechanical coupling model that accounts for both temperature and strain rate dependence, and determining the quantitative relationship between material parameters and influencing factors. The Maxwell stress component has been modified to incorporate dynamic thickness variations in DEs during deformation. A unified framework spanning the characteristic temperature is developed, aiming to systematically characterize the complex mechanical responses across various temperature regimes. The model effectively predicts the softening behavior of DEs under increasing voltage, while confirming that the influence of low to moderate voltages on mechanical material parameters is negligible. In the absence of an applied electric field, the model can automatically degenerate into a purely mechanical model, ensuring physical consistency. With its simple structure and limited parameters, the proposed model has been comprehensively validated for uniaxial constant strain rate loading–unloading of DEs, showing high predictive accuracy.