Modeling of large deflections of carbon fibers in cilia-based piezoelectric actuators

Abstract:
Cilia-based piezoelectric actuators use piezo elements as source of vibrations and a friction layer of inclined microscopic cilia for anisotropic friction to generate displacement. Hence, large deflections of the cilia are required for large displacements in the actuator. To model these displacements, the analytical approach is carried out in this paper, instead of using a black-box-software solution. For this, nonlinear kinematic relations are used to set the characterizing differential equation of a single fiber. The large displacements have negative longitudinal and perpendicular displacements to the initial position of the fiber. For this, high order theories of elastic bending are applied.