An overview of the development and application of post-buckled precompressed (PBP) piezoelectric actuators is presented. It has been demonstrated that PBP actuators outperform conventional piezoelectric actuators by relying on axial compression to counter the inherent stiffness in the actuator element. In doing so, the mechanical work output has been shown to increase threefold compared with conventional bimorph actuators. Actuator stroke has been demonstrated to increase up to 300% without compromising the blocked force capability. This has resulted in an expansion of the design space of piezoelectric bender elements and has made them excellent candidates for potentially replacing certain classes of conventional electromechanical flight control actuators. The successful application of PBP elements can be found in unmanned aerospace systems ranging from subscale vertical-take-off-and-landing vehicles to supersonic missile fins. With respect to conventional electromechanical servoactuators, it is demonstrated that PBP actuator elements induce a lower systems weight fraction, a substantially higher bandwidth, and an order of magnitude lower power consumptions and part count.

1.
Ehlers
,
S.
, and
Weisshaar
,
T.
, 1990, “
Static Aeroelastic Behavior of an Adaptive Laminated Piezoelectric Composite Wing
,”
Proceedings of the 31st AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference
, AIAA Paper No. 90-1078.
2.
Barrett
,
R.
, 2004, “
Adaptive Aerostructures—The First Decade of Flight on Uninhabited Aerospace Systems
,”
Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 11th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials
, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Vol.
5388
, pp.
190
201
.
3.
Xu
,
W.
, and
King
,
T.
, 1996, “
Flexure Hinges for Piezoelectric Displacement Amplifiers: Flexibility, Accuracy, and Stress Considerations
,”
J. Soc. Precis. Eng.
0912-0289,
19
(
1
), pp.
4
10
.
4.
Samak
,
D. K.
, and
Chopra
,
I.
, 1996, “
Design of High Force, High Displacement Actuators for Helicopter Rotors
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
5
, pp.
58
67
.
5.
Prechtl
,
E. F.
, and
Hall
,
S. R.
, 1999, “
Design of a High Efficiency, Large Stroke, Electromechanical Actuator
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
8
, pp.
13
30
.
6.
Lee
,
T.
, and
Chopra
,
I.
, 2001, “
Design of Piezostack-Driven Trailing-Edge Flap Actuator for Helicopter Rotors
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
10
(
1
), pp.
15
24
.
7.
Hall
,
S. R.
, and
Prechtl
,
E. F.
, 1996, “
Development of a Piezoelectric Servoflap for Helicopter Rotor Control
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
5
, pp.
26
34
.
8.
Jiang
,
J.
, and
Mockensturm
,
E.
, 2006, “
A Motion Amplifier Using an Axially Driven Buckling Beam: I. Design and Experiments
,”
Nonlinear Dyn.
0924-090X,
43
(
4
), pp.
391
409
.
9.
Jiang
,
J.
, and
Mockensturm
,
E.
, 2006, “
A Motion Amplifier Using an Axially Driven Buckling Beam: II. Modeling and Analysis
,”
Nonlinear Dyn.
0924-090X,
45
(
1–2
), pp.
1
14
.
10.
Ervin
,
J. D.
, and
Brei
,
D.
, 1998, “
Recurve Piezoelectric-Strain-Amplifying Actuator Architecture
,”
IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
1083-4435,
3
, pp.
293
301
.
11.
Mtawa
,
A.
,
Sun
,
B.
, and
Gryzagoridis
,
J.
, 2007, “
An Investigation of the Influence of Substrate Geometry and Material Properties on the Performance of the C-Shape Piezoelectric Actuator
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
16
(
4
), pp.
1036
1042
.
12.
Moskalik
,
A. J.
, and
Brei
,
D.
, 1997, “
Quasi-Static Behavior of Individual C-Block Piezoelectric Actuators
,”
J. Intell. Mater. Syst. Struct.
1045-389X,
8
(
7
), pp.
571
587
.
13.
Lesieutre
,
G.
, and
Davis
,
C.
, 1997, “
Can a Coupling Coefficient of a Piezoelectric Device Be Higher Than Those of Its Active Material?
,”
J. Intell. Mater. Syst. Struct.
1045-389X,
8
(
10
), pp.
859
867
.
14.
Vos
,
R.
, and
Barrett
,
R.
, 2010, “
Dynamic Elastic Axis Shifting: An Important Enhancement of Postbuckled Precompressed (PBP) Actuators
,”
AIAA J.
0001-1452,
48
(
3
), pp.
583
590
.
15.
Jones
,
R.
, 1975, “
Micromechanical Behavior of a Lamina
,”
Mechanics of Composite Materials
, 4th ed.,
Hemisphere
,
Washington, DC
.
16.
Barrett
,
R.
,
McMurtry
,
R.
,
Vos
,
R.
,
Tiso
,
P.
, and
DeBreuker
,
R.
, 2005, “
Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) Elements: A New Class of Flight Control Actuators Enhancing High Speed Autonomous VTOL MAVS
,”
Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 12th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials
, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Vol.
5762
, pp.
111
122
.
17.
DeBreuker
,
R.
,
Tiso
,
P.
,
Vos
,
R.
, and
Barrett
,
R.
, 2006, “
Nonlinear Semi-Analytical Modeling of Postbuckled Precom-Pressed (PBP) Piezoelectric Actuators for UAV Flight Control
,”
Proceedings of the 47th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference
, AIAA Paper No. 2006-1795.
18.
Giannopoulos
,
G.
, 2007, “
Large Displacement Piezoelectric Structures for Actuation Applications
,” Ph.D. thesis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.
19.
Vos
,
R.
,
Barrett
,
R.
, and
Zehr
,
D.
, 2008, “
Magnification of Work Output of PBP Class Actuators Using Buckling/Converse Buckling Techniques
,”
Proceedings of the 49th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Material Conference
, Paper No. AIAA-2008-1705.
20.
Groen
,
M.
,
VanSchravendijk
,
M.
,
Barrett
,
R.
, and
Vos
,
R.
, 2009, “
Advanced Control Techniques for Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) Flight Control Actuators
,”
Proc. SPIE
0277-786X,
7288
, p.
72881V
.
21.
Lesieutre
,
G.
, and
Davis
,
C.
, 2001, “
Transducer Having a Coupling Coefficient Higher Than Its Active Material
,” U.S. Patent No. 6,236,143.
22.
Schwartz
,
R. W.
, and
Narayanan
,
M.
, 2002, “
Electroactive Apparatus and Methods
,” Clemson University, International Patent No. PCT/US02/09698.
23.
Barrett
,
R.
, 1992, “
Active Plate and Wing Research Using EDAP Elements
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
1
(
3
), pp.
214
226
.
24.
Barrett
,
R.
, and
Tiso
,
P.
, 2005, “
PBP Adaptive Actuator Device and Embodiments
,” Delft University of Technology, International Patent No. PCT/NL2005/000054.
25.
Vos
,
R.
, and
Barrett
,
R.
, 2007, “
Dynamic Elastic Axis Shifting: An Important Enhancement of Postbuckled Precom-Pressed (PBP) Actuators
,”
Proceedings of the 48th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Material Conference
, Paper No. AIAA-2007-1705.
26.
Dano
,
M. L.
, and
Hyer
,
M. W.
, 2003, “
SMA-Induced Snap-Thru of Unsymmetric Fiber-Reinforced Composite Laminates
,”
Int. J. Solids Struct.
0020-7683,
40
(
22
), pp.
5949
5972
.
27.
Schultz
,
M. R.
, and
Hyer
,
M. W.
, 2003, “
Snap-Through of Unsymmetric Cross-Ply Laminates Using Piezoceramic Actuators
,”
J. Intell. Mater. Syst. Struct.
1045-389X,
14
(
12
), pp.
795
814
.
28.
Ren
,
L.
, 2007, “
Theoretical Study on Shape Control of Thin Cross-Ply Laminates Using Piezoelectric Actuators
,”
Compos. Struct.
0263-8223,
80
(
3
), pp.
451
460
.
29.
Gude
,
M.
, and
Hufenbach
,
W.
, 2006, “
Design of Novel Morphing Structures Based on Bistale Composites With Piezoceramic Actuators
,”
Mech. Compos. Mater. Struct.
1075-9417,
42
(
4
), pp.
339
346
.
30.
Schultz
,
M. R.
,
Hyer
,
M. W.
,
Williams
,
R. B.
,
Wilkie
,
W. K.
, and
Inman
,
D. J.
, 2006, “
Snap-Through of Unsymmetric Laminates Using Piezocomposite Actuators
,”
Compos. Sci. Technol.
0266-3538,
66
(
14
), pp.
2442
2448
.
31.
Giannopoulos
,
G.
,
Monreal
,
J.
, and
Vantomme
,
J.
, 2007, “
Snap-Through Buckling Behavior of Piezoelectric Bimorph Beams: I. Analytical and Numerical Modeling
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
16
(
4
), pp.
1148
1157
.
32.
Giannopoulos
,
G.
,
Monreal
,
J.
, and
Vantomme
,
J.
, 2007, “
Snap-Through Buckling Behavior of Piezoelectric Bimorph Beams: II. Experimental Verification
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
16
(
4
), pp.
1158
1163
.
33.
Barrett
,
R.
,
Vos
,
R.
,
Tiso
,
P.
, and
DeBreuker
,
R.
, 2005, “
Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) Actuators: Enhancing VTOL Autonomous High Speed MAVS
,”
Proceedings of the 46th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference
, AIAA Paper No. 2005-2113.
34.
Barrett
,
R.
,
McMurtry
,
R.
,
Vos
,
R.
,
DeBreuker
,
R.
, and
Tiso
,
P.
, 2006, “
Post-Buckled Precompressed Piezoelectric Flight Control Actuator Design Development and Demonstration
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
15
(
5
), pp.
1323
1331
.
35.
Bilgen
,
O.
,
Kochersberger
,
K.
,
Diggs
,
E.
,
Kurdila
,
A.
, and
Inman
,
D.
, 2007, “
Morphing Wing Micro-Air-Vehicles via Macro-Fiber-Composite Actuators
,”
Proceedings of the 48th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference
, Paper No. AIAA-2007-1785.
36.
Vos
,
R.
,
Barrett
,
R.
,
Krakers
,
L.
, and
van Tooren
,
M.
, 2006, “
Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) Piezoelectric Actuators for UAV Flight Control
,”
Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 13th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials
, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Vol.
6173
.
37.
Vos
,
R.
,
Barrett
,
R.
,
DeBreuker
,
R.
, and
Tiso
,
P.
, 2007, “
Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) Elements: A New Class of Control Actuators for Morphing Wing UAVs
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
16
(
3
), pp.
919
926
.
38.
Vos
,
R.
,
DeBreuker
,
R.
,
Barrett
,
R.
, and
Tiso
,
P.
, 2007, “
Morphing Wing Flight Control via Post-Buckled Precompressed Piezoelectric Actuators
,”
J. Aircr.
0021-8669,
44
(
4
), pp.
1060
1068
.
39.
Clingman
,
D. J.
, 2006, “
Development of an Aerodynamic Synthetic Jet Actuator Based on a Piezoceramic Buckled Beam
,” MS thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
40.
Barrett
,
R.
, 1996, “
Active Aeroelastic Tailoring of an Adaptive Flexspar Stabilator
,”
Smart Mater. Struct.
0964-1726,
5
(
6
), pp.
723
730
.
41.
Barrett
,
R.
,
Vos
,
R.
, and
DeBreuker
,
R.
, 2007, “
Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) Subsonic Micro Flight Control Actuators and Surfaces
,”
Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 14th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials
, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Vol.
6525
.
42.
Barrett
,
R.
, and
Vos
,
R.
, 2008, “
Design, Development and Testing of a Transonic Missile Fin Employing PBP/DEAS Actuators
,”
Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 11th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials
, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Vols.
6930–6937
.
You do not currently have access to this content.