Stable transitions between remote equilibria of post-buckled beams using piezoelectric actuation

Abstract

This paper considers the extent to which a clamped-clamped post-buckled beam bonded to two elongating piezoelectric actuators can be made to stably transition between remote equilibria. The electromechanical system is modeled using elastica theory with extensions to account for the influence of the actuators on the structure. It expresses this piezoelectric coupling effect in terms of a non-dimensional parameter, σ, that can be easily calculated for candidate substrate/actuator configurations. Parameter studies determining the threshold values of σ required to execute stable transitions under different actuation and loading situations are presented. The results indicate that the lowest threshold values of σ occur when the beam is actuated from approximately 15%–85% of its span. Experiments validate the numerical results and offer the first physical demonstrations of the use of piezoelectric actuators to achieve stable transitions between remote equilibria.