Compact piezoelectric stacked actuators for high power applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Piezoelectric actuators are crucial for precise motion control.
• High-power applications require actuators with enhanced vibration capabilities.
• Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics offer excellent piezoelectric properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the performance of small, hollow, multilayer actuators under high-power conditions.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of multilayer structures in enhancing vibration levels.
• To assess the limitations imposed by thermal effects on actuator performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 3 mm diameter, hollow, multilayer actuators using the stacking method with PZT ceramics.
• Construction of Langevin vibrators incorporating the fabricated multilayer actuators.
• Experimental examination of actuator and Langevin vibrator performance under high-power sinusoidal drive voltages.

Main Results:

• Multilayer structures significantly enhanced high-power vibration levels at both nonresonance and resonance conditions.
• A maximum vibration velocity of 0.17 m/sec was achieved with a 9-layer actuator under nonresonance conditions.
• Vibration velocity further improved when using a Langevin vibrator driven at its resonance frequency.

Conclusions:

• Multilayer piezoelectric actuator designs offer superior high-power vibration performance.
• Thermal management is critical for overcoming limitations and achieving higher vibration velocities.
• Further research can focus on thermal dissipation strategies for advanced actuator applications.