Description of Electroelasticity and its Related Forward and Inverse Motion Problems

Electroactive polymers (EAP) deform under electric fields and an advantage of EAP is that they may undergo deformations much larger than those capable by electroactive ceramics, however at comparatively much lower forces. As common for polymers, EAP exhibit time-dependent material behavior, i.e. an electro-viscoelastic effect. Modeling of this behavior is discussed. The forward motion problem follows from the solution of balance of linear momen- tum and balance equations for the electromagnetic fields, providing the shape and state of the deformed configuration. In the inverse motion problem the deformed state of an elastic body for a given set of loads and boundary conditions is specified and the undeformed configuration is found by solving the resulting boundary value problem, e.g. with the finite element metho