The correlation of electrical properties of prestressed unimorphs as a function of mechanical strain and displacement

Prestressed Unimorph-type actuators are being adapted for industrial applications previously not envisioned for piezoelectric based technology. These include electronically controlled diesel valve injectors, non-resonance fluidic pumps and low-stroke linear motors. To expand the range of applications and refine the design of these actuators for additional technologies, the effects of load placement, force distribution and mounting must be investigated in order to retrofit existing devices and systems. This research uses several sets of multi-strain gauged THUNDER actuators mounted in a fully compliant test fixture equipped with an LVDT and weight system and to characterize the room temperature strain and displacement as a function of mechanical loading. The results will be used to refine computational models that aid in the design of these actuators for future applications.