Abstract
The millimeter or insect scale sized electrostatic force driven mechanisms using a parallel plate actuation with multilayered dielectric considering air gap as a dielectric has not been delved into so much. This thesis is directed towards design parameters of small mechanisms taking into consideration, the dielectric material, which in this study, Teflon was the material of choice due to its excellent dielectric properties, the size, area and thickness of the capacitor plates and breakdown voltage and its effects on a small scale mechanism operating on the principle of electrostatic actuation having a size such as that of an insect. These parameters were determined using detailed theoretical and practical analyses showing how these parameters relate to ensure an excellent design taking into consideration the effect of breakdown voltage and its effect on the maximum force exerted by the mechanism and on the overall dielectric properties of the dielectrics in-between the capacitor plates. The maximum force was determined experimentally by connecting a parallel plate actuator with Teflon and air as the dielectrics to a triple output DC power supply which was connected to a power controller and DC high voltage power converter which amplifies the input voltage by 4310 times. The resulting maximum forces and breakdown voltage for different Teflon thicknesses and air gap distances were measured to determine how to optimize the design of these mechanisms considering the effect of dielectric constant and dielectric strength of the material on the force generated and to aid in material selection for a mechanism as such.