An analytical model for electrostatic adhesive dynamics on dielectric substrates

For electrostatic adhesion on a dielectric material, the electrostatic adhesion force gradually increases to a steady value after the voltage exerted onto the interdigital electrodes. However, little has been addressed to reveal governing mechanisms behind this dynamic phenomenon. In this paper, a theoretical model is presented for analysis of the dynamic properties of electrostatic adhesion on dielectric materials. Firstly, the electric field was derived by solving the Laplace equation of the electrical potential for each sub-area using general solution and boundary conditions. Then, the electrostatic adhesion force was obtained using the Maxwell stress tensor formulation. Finally, the dynamic properties of the electric field and electrostatic adhesion force were assessed by evaluating the transient response of the field and force under a step in applied voltages. Experimental studies for verification were conducted by evaluating the adhesion performance of an electrode panel on three different substrate plates: glass, wood and Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). Results from these experiments are highly consistent with the theoretical model. The overall results of this paper provide theoretical guidelines for systematic optimization of electrostatic adhesion technology in various application scenarios, such as electrostatic chucks, electrostatic suspension systems and electroadhesive wall-climbing robots.