High-authority telescoping actuators

Carl C.M. Wu; David Lewis III; Manfred Kahn; Mark T. Chase

doi:10.1117/12.351558

9 July 1999 High-authority telescoping actuators

Carl C.M. Wu, David Lewis III, Manfred Kahn, Mark T. Chase

Proceedings Volume 3674, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.351558
Event: 1999 Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 1999, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

A family of high authority actuators was developed at the Naval Research Laboratory. These actuators are based on displacement amplification within a compact, solid state, monolithic piezoelectric actuator, by using a telescoping tube design. In this design, concentric tubes are mechanically connected in series. This gives an effective actuator length that is equal to the sum of the lengths of the individual concentric elements. The high displacement output of this actuator permits efficient coupling of the actuator output into a load of similar impedance, and thereby much greater effective actuator output. Initial prototypes were made of commercially available PZT tubes of three different diameters and wall thickness. These tubes were pulsed through the thickness of the walls and the change in their lengths were used for actuation. Their actuation is therefore making use of the d₃₁ piezoelectric coefficient. Alternatively, electrodes can be applied to the ends of the individual concentric tubes and their lengthwise displacement will subsequently be proportional to the d₃₃ parameter of the material. The tubes were bonded at their ends to alumina plates using epoxy-based adhesive. The displacement obtained from the assembly is close to the sum of those of the three individual tubes at the same applied field. Other parameters such as blocking force and energy densities are also reported. These actuators have applications where high force and simultaneously large displacement are required and space is limited. Potential uses include high end aerospace as well as low tech commercial applications.

Citation Download Citation

Carl C.M. Wu, David Lewis III, Manfred Kahn, and Mark T. Chase "High-authority telescoping actuators", Proc. SPIE 3674, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies, (9 July 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.351558

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