Approximate analytical solutions of nonlinear vibration and bifurcation of dielectric elastomer balloon

Dielectric elastomers (DE), a novel class of actuators, are increasingly employed in fields such as soft robotics and vibration control. Most existing studies investigating the dynamic characteristics of DE structures neglect the viscoelasticity and strain-stiffening effects of materials, with only a few offering approximate analytical solutions. This paper establishes the governing equation for the dynamics of a DE balloon, utilizing the principle of virtual work and considering material viscoelasticity and strain-stiffening effects through linear damping and the Gent hyperelastic model, respectively. The nonlinear governing equations are simplified using the Chebyshev polynomial approximation. The multiple scales method is applied to derive approximate solutions for the structure's free vibration under static voltage excitation and parametrically excited vibration under harmonic voltage excitation. The accuracy of these approximate analytical solutions is validated by comparison with numerical solutions. Additionally, the paper analyzes stability and bifurcation phenomena through time-domain response curves, amplitude-frequency curves, and phase trajectories. Furthermore, the influence of the stretching limit, voltage, and damping on the nonlinear vibration of the balloon structure is studied, providing a valuable theoretical foundation for the future design and utilization of dielectric elastomers.