Low-Computational-Cost Technique for Modeling Macro Fiber Composite Piezoelectric Actuators Using Finite Element...

Area of Science:

• Piezoelectric Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics
• Composite Materials Engineering

Background:

• Macro fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric actuators feature numerous interdigitated electrodes (IDEs).
• Modeling MFCs with a high density of IDEs using finite element (FE) methods incurs substantial computational expense.
• This computational burden is particularly prohibitive for control tasks requiring repeated simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient finite element (FE) modeling technique for macro fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric actuators.
• To significantly reduce the computational costs associated with simulating MFC actuators.
• To validate the proposed simplified modeling approach both theoretically and experimentally.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a novel FE technique that models the MFC actuator as an equivalent monolithic piezoceramic actuator with only two electrodes.
• Theoretically proved the equivalence of the simplified model to the physical MFC in terms of electric field, strain, and displacement.
• Validated the simplified model against a detailed FE model with actual IDEs and through experimental tests using triaxial rosette strain gauges.

Main Results:

• The simplified FE model achieved dramatic reductions in computational costs: 74% less memory usage, 99% smaller result file size, and 98.6% reduction in computational time compared to the detailed model.
• Theoretical analysis confirmed that the simplified model accurately replicates the electric field, strain, and displacement of the physical MFC.
• Experimental validation demonstrated good consistency between the simplified model's predictions and actual performance.

Conclusions:

• The proposed FE modeling technique offers a highly efficient and accurate method for simulating MFC piezoelectric actuators.
• This simplification drastically lowers computational demands, enabling feasible simulations for complex systems, such as morphing wings with extensive MFC coverage.
• The technique is validated theoretically and experimentally, confirming its reliability for practical engineering applications.