Macro-fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric materials have been applied to a number of problems requiring high actuation authority, ranging from morphing-wing aircraft to vibration control in flexible structures. Most recently we have employed such MFC structures in underwater bio-inspired locomotion employing large actuation levels. However, utilizing the converse piezoelectric effect to such a degree requires high electric field and strain levels, resulting in significant material and geometric nonlinearities, beyond low field nonlinearities typically encountered in energy harvesting and sensing. In this work, we explore the mathematical framework of an MFC bimorph cantilever under low to moderate excitation levels and compare the results to base excitation and actuation experiments. Further experiments are conducted for actuation experiments which result in high strain and electric field levels, and sources of higher order nonlinearities are proposed.

© (2019) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

David Tan, Alexander K. Kemenov, and Alper Erturk, "Nonlinearities in resonant dynamics of piezoelectric macro-fiber composite cantilevers," Proc. SPIE 10967, Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems XIII, 109670I (Presented at SPIE Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation: March 05, 2019; Published: 27 March 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2515376.