Nonlinear sensing of ionic polymer metal composites

In this paper, we develop a physics-based model for the charge dynamics of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) in response to mechanical deformations. The proposed chemoelectromechanical model is based on the Poisson-Nernst-Planck system that describes the evolution of the voltage field and the counterion concentration as a dynamic strain is imposed to the IPMC. We use the method of matched asymptotic expansions to find a closed form solution for the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations and derive an equivalent nonlinear circuit model that is amenable for parametric studies. We report results for a variety of loading scenarios to gather insight into the nonlinear characteristics of IPMC electrical response and their potential application in sensors and energy harvesting devices.