Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Mechanical Systems01:22

Mechanical Systems

904
Mechanical systems are analogous to to electrical networks where springs and masses play similar roles to inductors and capacitors, respectively. A viscous damper in mechanical systems functions similarly to a resistor in electrical networks, dissipating energy. The forces acting on a mass in such systems include an applied force in the direction of motion, counteracted by forces from the spring, a viscous damper, and the mass's acceleration. This interplay of forces is mathematically...
904
Electro-mechanical Systems01:19

Electro-mechanical Systems

1.3K
Electromechanical systems are intricate configurations that effectively combine electrical and mechanical elements to achieve a desired outcome. Central to many of these systems is the DC motor, a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion, enabling various applications ranging from simple fans to complex robotic mechanisms.
A key component of the DC motor is the armature, a rotating circuit positioned within a magnetic field. As an electric current passes through the...
1.3K
Mechanical Efficiency of Real Machines01:14

Mechanical Efficiency of Real Machines

1.6K
The mechanical efficiency of a machine is a fundamental concept that describes how effectively a machine can convert input work into output work. According to this concept, the efficiency of a machine is equal to the ratio of the output work to the input work. An ideal machine, meaning a machine that has no energy losses, has an efficiency of one. This implies that the input work and the output work are equal.
However, in reality, no machine can be truly ideal, and all of them experience some...
1.6K
Circular Shafts - Elastoplastic Materials01:24

Circular Shafts - Elastoplastic Materials

642
The study of solid circular shafts under stress shows that within the elastic limit, stress increases directly to the distance from the shaft's center. This relationship holds until the shaft reaches a critical point of stress, beyond which it begins to yield, marking the transition from elastic to plastic deformation. At this crucial juncture, the maximum torque the shaft can endure without permanent deformation is determined, signifying the limit of its elastic behavior.
As torque on the...
642
Internal Combustion Engine01:20

Internal Combustion Engine

3.3K
The internal combustion engine is a heat engine that uses the byproducts of combustion as the working fluid instead of using a heat transfer medium to transfer heat. The combustion is done in a way that produces high-pressure combustion products that can be expanded through a turbine or piston to create work. Internal combustion engines can again be categorized into three kinds: (1) spark ignition gasoline engines, most commonly used in automobiles, (2) compression ignition diesel engines that...
3.3K
Equivalent Couples01:28

Equivalent Couples

900
In mechanical engineering, the concept of equivalent couples plays a crucial role in understanding and analyzing various mechanical systems.
Two couples are considered to be equivalent if they produce the same rotational effect on a rigid body. In other words, the two couples have the same magnitude and act in the same direction, causing the same angular displacement or acceleration in the body.
For instance, consider two couples lying in the plane of the page, with one having a pair of equal...
900

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ibrutinib and rituximab versus immunochemotherapy in patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma (ENRICH): a randomised, open-label, phase 2/3 superiority trial.

Lancet (London, England)·2025
Same author

Women's use of online health and social media resources to make sense of their polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis: a qualitative study.

BMC women's health·2024
Same author

Shifting Norms and Value Conflicts: Exploring the Effects of HIV Status Disclosure Fields in Sex-Social Apps.

Archives of sexual behavior·2024
Same author

Discontinuous Metric Programming in Liquid Crystalline Elastomers.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2023
Same author

Financial and Socio-Economic Effects of Investment in the Context of Dog Population Management.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2022
Same author

Collective motion of active particles exhibiting non-reciprocal orientational interactions.

Scientific reports·2022
Same journal

Tension on dsDNA bound to ssDNA-RecA filaments may play an important role in driving efficient and accurate homology recognition and strand exchange.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Publisher's Note: Amplitude-phase coupling drives chimera states in globally coupled laser networks [Phys. Rev. E 91, 040901(R) (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Erratum: Shapes of sedimenting soft elastic capsules in a viscous fluid [Phys. Rev. E 92, 033003 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Erratum: Attenuation of excitation decay rate due to collective effect [Phys. Rev. E 90, 022142 (2014)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Publisher's Note: Role of connectivity and fluctuations in the nucleation of calcium waves in cardiac cells [Phys. Rev. E 92, 052715 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Publisher's Note: Lattice Boltzmann approach for complex nonequilibrium flows [Phys. Rev. E 92, 043308 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
10:32

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Published on: February 1, 2016

36.9K

Optomechanical elastomeric engine.

Miloš Knežević1, Mark Warner

  • 1Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|November 16, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study designs a novel elastomer engine that converts heat or light into mechanical work. The proposed engine achieves a maximum efficiency of 20% for practical applications.

More Related Videos

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
11:06

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Published on: November 14, 2015

8.4K
Applying Permanent, Robust Stenciled Patterns of Fine Particles to Elastomeric Surfaces
07:12

Applying Permanent, Robust Stenciled Patterns of Fine Particles to Elastomeric Surfaces

Published on: July 8, 2025

612

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 6, 2026

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
10:32

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Published on: February 1, 2016

36.9K
Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
11:06

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Published on: November 14, 2015

8.4K
Applying Permanent, Robust Stenciled Patterns of Fine Particles to Elastomeric Surfaces
07:12

Applying Permanent, Robust Stenciled Patterns of Fine Particles to Elastomeric Surfaces

Published on: July 8, 2025

612

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Thermodynamics
  • Mechanical Engineering

Background:

  • Nematic elastomers exhibit anisotropic contraction when exposed to thermal or light stimuli.
  • Existing energy conversion technologies often face limitations in efficiency or material constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a conceptual design for an elastomer-based engine.
  • To explore the material parameters and geometry for optimal performance.
  • To determine the theoretical efficiency of such a heat or light-driven engine.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual design of an elastomer engine.
  • Analysis of material parameters influencing engine performance.
  • Geometric optimization for work extraction.

Main Results:

  • A conceptual design for an elastomer engine capable of converting heat or light to mechanical work is presented.
  • Material parameters and engine geometry were analyzed to understand their impact on performance.
  • The engine demonstrates a potential maximum efficiency of up to 20%.

Conclusions:

  • Elastomer-based engines offer a promising avenue for mechanical work extraction from heat or light.
  • The conceptual design and analysis provide a foundation for developing practical photo- or thermo-mechanical engines.
  • Achieving up to 20% efficiency highlights the potential of nematic elastomers in energy conversion applications.