Numerical simulation of the steady-state deformation of a smart hydrogel under an external electric field

In this paper, we develop a numerical model based on a multiphasic theory to simulate the deformation response of a hydrogel strip immersed into an acidic solution under an external electric field. The deformation response consists of complicated mechano-electrochemical behaviours including mechanical effects (pressure and diffusive drag), chemical effects (concentration, chemical potential, osmotic pressure) and electric effects (electric field intensity, electric potential). The complexly coupled nonlinear governing equations are numerically solved using a recently developed meshless radial basis function method. We analyse the major factors which influence the swelling/shrinking behaviours of the hydrogel strip. The numerical results show good agreement with the experimental measurements.