Energy exchange between a vortex ring and an ionic polymer metal composite

Abstract

In this letter, we study the transient response of a cantilevered ionic polymer metal composite impacted by a self-propagating vortex ring in an otherwise quiescent fluid. Experiments are performed using time-resolved particle image velocimetry to elucidate the flow physics during the vortex ring propagation and subsequent interaction with the cantilever. Images from these experiments are analyzed to extract the vibration of the structure, which is used to estimate the energy transferred from the vortex ring. A small fraction of this energy is further transduced into an electrical signal by the chemoelectromechanical behavior of the ionic polymer metal composite.