Actuation of flexoelectric membranes in viscoelastic fluids with applications to outer hair cells
Por:
Herrera-Valencia E.E., Rey A.D.
Publicada:
28 nov 2014
Resumen:
Liquid crystal flexoelectric actuation uses an imposed electric field to
create membrane bending, and it is used by the outer hair cells (OHCs)
located in the inner ear, whose role is to amplify sound through
generation of mechanical power. Oscillations in the OHC membranes create
periodic viscoelastic flows in the contacting fluid media. A key
objective of this work on flexoelectric actuation relevant to OHCs is to
find the relations and impact of the electromechanical properties of the
membrane, the rheological properties of the viscoelastic media, and the
frequency response of the generated mechanical power output. The model
developed and used in this work is based on the integration of: (i) the
flexoelectric membrane shape equation applied to a circular membrane
attached to the inner surface of a circular capillary and (ii) the
coupled capillary flow of contacting viscoelastic phases, such that the
membrane flexoelectric oscillations drive periodic viscoelastic
capillary flows, as in OHCs. By applying the Fourier transform formalism
to the governing equation, analytical expressions for the transfer
function associated with the curvature and electrical field and for the
power dissipation of elastic storage energy were found.
Filiaciones:
Herrera-Valencia E.E.:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Higher Educ Zaragoza, Chem Engn Dept, Iztapalapa 09230, Mexico
Rey A.D.:
Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B2, Canada
Bronze
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