Papers by Author: Fu Xing Zhang

Abstract: The influence of electro-mechanical operation conditions on the actuation capabilities of the piezoelectric bimorph is investigated in this paper. The objective is to compare the performance of the piezoelectric bimorph in different operation conditions and to determine the optimum operating conditions. An experimental set-up is built, and a series of experiments are presented to investigate the static and dynamic characteristics of the bimorph, including tip displacements of the bimorph under different preloads, dynamic response at different drive frequencies, step response and creep. Some properties such as displacement output, force output and hysteresis of the piezoelectric bimorph under different operating conditions are evaluated. Experimental results indicate strong dependence of both elastic and piezoelectric properties of the bimorph on the operating conditions.

Abstract: Piezoelectric materials have an ability to efficiently transform mechanical energy to electric energy and vice versa, which makes them useful as structural dampers. The objective of this work is to investigate the damping capabilities of a piezoceramic shunted by different types of passive electrical circuits. The material properties of the shunted piezoceramic are modeled and the analytical results show that the shunted piezoceramic exhibits different damping potentials depending on the piezoelectric properties of the material and the shunt circuits. An experimental set-up of a cantilever beam with surface bonded piezoceramics is proposed to investigate the damping characteristics of the shunted piezoceramic. An analytical model is developed to describe the influence of the shunted piezoceramic on the dynamic response of the beam. The damping performances of the piezoceramic shunted by different circuits are compared respectively and the experimental results show approximate agreement with the numerical simulations of the model.