Resonant frequency and hysteresis of a stack actuator made of single crystal (PMN-29PT) layers

Abstract

In this study, we have presented the dynamic behavior of a piezoelectric stack actuator made of forty layers of single-crystal (PMN-29PT) with an area of 10 × 10 mm2 and thickness of 1 mm. To conduct a dynamic test of the actuator, we built a test apparatus with dummy weights that was placed over the top of the actuator to measure the actuation displacement. The resonant frequencies of the actuator with and without the dummy weight were determined as the excitation frequencies where a significant increase in the actuation displacement could be observed. We also proposed an analytical multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) model of the actuator to analytically predict the resonant frequency. Finite element analyses were conducted to validate the analytically predicted and measured resonant frequencies. With no dummy weight, the resonant frequency of the actuator was measured at 730.00 Hz, which was 0.70% higher than the one calculated by the MDOF model and 0.10% smaller than that of the finite element model. With a dummy weight, the measured resonant frequency was lower than 730.00 Hz and close enough to those computed by the MDOF model and the finite element model. The hysteresis curves of the actuator at various frequencies indicated that the actuator might incur a small energy loss.