Analysis and experiments of bi-stable laminate configuration control based on MFC piezoelectric actuation

Abstract

This paper studies the configuration change control and the snap-through phenomenon of bi-stable laminate with the MFC piezoelectric plate. The kinetic and potential energy expressions of the piezoelectric bi-stable laminate were obtained based on the von-Karman hypothesis. The constitutive equations of the system were given using a six-parameter displacement model, and the potential function of the system was derived using Hamilton’s principle. The configuration changes of the piezoelectric bi-stable laminate under different geometrical conditions were analyzed. The influence of voltage on the bi-stable laminate configuration was studied by applying different driving voltages. The snap-through energy variation of the piezoelectric bi-stable laminate under different geometrical conditions was investigated. In the experimental part, the changes in bi-stable laminate configuration with different geometrical conditions and after attaching the piezoelectric plate were compared. Different driving voltages were applied to measure the difference in piezoelectric bi-stable laminate configuration, and the critical snap-through voltages were recorded. The measured changes in bi-stable laminate configuration and snap-through voltage at different voltages prove the correctness of the theoretical presentation.