Electrostatic Force Simulation Comparison of Tilted Plate Actuator and Conventional Actuator

A tilted plate electrostatic actuator (TPEA) capable of producing large electrostatic forces is proposed. TPEA consists of an inclined top plate with one edge touching the floor, a torsional spring that holds the top plate to the structure, and a bottom electrode. As a result of theoretical and simulation analysis, TPEA has an electrostatic force that is 6.5 times and 22.8 times greater than the existing parallel plate actuator and vertical comb actuator, respectively. Specifically, the electrostatic force per unit area is 195 N for a vertical comb actuator, 731 N for a parallel plate actuator, and 4.7 kN for TPEA. TPEA can generate the same electrostatic force with only 21% of the applied voltage compared to the vertical comb actuator. Specifically, a voltage of 50 V must be applied to generate a force of 195 N in a vertical comb actuator, whereas a voltage of 10.5 V only needs to be applied in TPEA.