Distributed piezoelectric actuator with complex shape

Abstract

Distributed Piezoelectric Actuator (DPA) is one kind of actuator in the smart technology field. Firstly, DPA is one kind of solid-state actuator, and can be embedded in the structure. Secondly, it can be controlled by the electrical signal with high bandwidth and high precision. So it can be applied in the many different fields, such as high-resolution positioning, noise and vibration detection and shape control. Up to now, all of the DPA theory investigations and the product designs are based on applying the approximate electrical field. And only the rectangular shape DPA has been studied. The accurate distribution and intensity of electrical and mechanics field, and the numerical imitation for the DPA products with rectangular and other shapes have never been discussed and studied. Therefore, the development of DPA to be used in the micro application, such as in the Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS), has been limited. This thesis has developed the analytical analysis models for two types of DPA elements and the part circular shape DPA element. The MathCAD and MATLAB program have been used to develop the analytical models. The ABAQUS program has also been used to compare the results between the analytical models and Finite Element Method (FEM). Finally, the accuracy and reliability of analytical models have been proved by results comparison between the analytical models, FEM and the product testing data from the industry. This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction of smart structure. The characterizations of constituent materials, including the piezoelectric material and matrix epoxy material have been discussed in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, the analytical models for two type of DPA element have been developed and the comparisons have also been completed. The analytical models for part circular shape DPA element have been developed in Chapter 4. The conclusions and recommendations are included in Chapter 5.