A theoretical model for power generation via liquid crystal elastomers

Motivated by the need for new materials and green energy production and conversion processes, a class of mathematical models for liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) integrated within a theoretical charge pump electrical circuit is considered. The charge pump harnesses the chemical and mechanical properties of LCEs transitioning from the nematic to isotropic phase when illuminated or heated to generate higher voltage from a lower voltage supplied by a battery. For the material constitutive model, purely elastic and neoclassical-type strain energy densities applicable to a wide range of monodomain nematic elastomers are combined, while elastic and photothermal responses are decoupled to make the investigation analytically tractable. By varying the model parameters of the elastic and neoclassical terms, it is found that LCEs are more effective than rubber when used as dielectric material within a charge pump capacitor.