Zhigang Suo's blog

Fall 2020, Tuesday and Thursday 12:00 pm–1:15 pm.

I’ve just come back from a Winter School on Dielectric Elastomer Transducers, held at Monte Verità, Ascona, Switzerland, 10-16 January 2010.  Lectures were given by various people, covering the theory of electromechanical interaction, design of devices, development of materials, and technologies of manufacturing.  I was asked to give three lectures on the theory.  I attach the slides of my lectures.

Recent experiments have shown that a voltage can induce a large deformation in an elastomer of interpenetrating networks. We describe a model of interpenetrating networks of long and short chains. As the voltage ramps up, the elastomer may undergo a snap-through instability. The network with long chains fills the space and keeps elastomer compliant at small to modest deformation. The network with short chains acts as a safety net that restrains the elastomer from thinning down excessively, averting electrical breakdown.  It appears possible to find a dielectric elastomer capable of giant deformation of actuation.  You can read the paper, or take a look at the slides posted here.

A growing number of mechanicians are entering the field of soft materials, such as polymers, gels, and tissues. While they interact with researchers in technical societies traditionally identified with the field, they also maintain connection with researchers in applied mechanics.

With great pleasure I inform you that Jerrold E. Marsden, of Caltech, are selected to receive the 2010 Thomas K. Caughey Dynamics Award.

I am writing on behalf of the Thomas K. Caughey Dynamics Award Committee: Zhigang Suo (Chair), Tayfun E. Tezduyar, Ares J. Rosakis, Kenneth M. Liechti, Lawrence A. Bergman, Daniel J. Inman, Krishnaswamy Ravi-Chandar, Thomas N. Farris, Wing Kam Liu, Mary C. Boyce, Paul Jennings, Geof Tomlinson, and Ali Nayfeh.

With great pleasure I inform you that Yoichiro Matsumoto, of the University of Tokyo, is selected to receive the 2010 Ted Belytschko Applied Mechanics Award.

Harley T. Johnson has just been selected to receive the 2010 Thomas J.R. Hughes Young Investigator Award.

I am writing on behalf of the Thomas J.R. Hughes Young Investigator Award Committee: Zhigang Suo (Chair), Tayfun E. Tezduyar, Ares J. Rosakis, Kenneth M. Liechti, Lawrence A. Bergman, Daniel J. Inman, Krishnaswamy Ravi-Chandar, Thomas N. Farris, Wing Kam Liu, and Mary C. Boyce.

The 2009 ASME Congress starts this weekend.  You can find the schedule of the meetings of all the committees (326KB pdf).  This note lists a few special events. 

Monday, 16 November, 8:00 am to 9:30 am. Plenary Session in Mechanics of Solids, Structures and Fluids

In May 2008, I posted 3 lectures on Soft Active Materials given at UCSB.  I have since given similar lectures on other occasions, but never all three at the same place.  The field has been active.  The lectures have been updated with new items.  I’m now posting the “2nd edition” of these lectures.

• Dielectric elastomers
• Neutral gels
• Polyelectrolyte gels
• pH-sensitive gels 

The slides are posted as delivered.  No effort is made to eliminate repeating slides. 

The number of registered users of iMechanica passed 16,000 early today.  The the number of posts passed 6,900, and that of comments, 12,500. 

iMechanica was founded in September, 2006, with the mission:

1. to use the Internet to enhance communication among mechanicians
2. to pave a way to evolve online all knowledge of mechanics

I quote what I wrote when the number of registered user passed 1000 in early 2007: