Design of a Compact and Position Self-sensing Long-stroke Piezoelectric Actuator

Abstract:
A new concept was proposed to extend the stroke of a piezoelectric actuator. A sequence of excitation electrodes was screen printed on a piezoelectric slab and a flexible fastener was clamped on the slab as a driven part. A driving signal was applied on a pair of electrodes to induce local expansion for driving the fastener. To realize compact, self-sensing features for the actuator, a pair of comb-shaped electrodes was integrated into the piezoelectric actuator as a capacitive position sensor for the driven part. On the basis of the aforementioned technology, a compact, self-sensing long-stroke piezoelectric actuator was realized, and preliminary performance was verified.