Abstract
In real applications, unimorph piezoelectric actuators always work under a certain carrying load. The center loading configuration can be found in the recent application of LIPCA (Lightweight Piezoceramic Composite Actuator) as the artificial muscle for flapping device. LIPCA is also used with tip loading configuration in our new model of MAV elevator. The loading performance of the device should be fully understood. This paper presents a study on the actuation displacement of unimorph piezoelectric actuators with two loading conditions: center loading and tip loading. The actuation displacement of loaded unimorph piezoelectric actuators is predicted by the finite element method and observed by experiments. Surprisingly, the predictions do not show the correct tendency of behavior of the device. Two typical kinds of piezoelectric unimorph actuator, LIPCA-C3 and THUNDER, are investigated numerically and experimentally. Some remarks on the observations are presented.
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