Mechanical Engineering Department, National Research Centre Mechanical Engineering Department, National Research Centre
Thesis Title
| A Finite Element Model for Smart Piezoelectric Actuators and Sensors |
Awarding University and Year
| faculty of Engineering-Cairo University-2004 |
Abstract
| The objective of this thesis is to develop and validate a finite element model accurate enough to be used in the design phase of small and large-scale piezoelectric sensors and actuators. Piezoelectric flap actuators are considered one of the powerful techniques used in the vibration control of helicopter rotors, which is the main problem in helicopter rotor design. The proposed FE model considers all the possible alternatives of smart actuator design. These design alternatives include number of layers, material types, shape tapering, thickness ratio … etc. The mathematical model is based on the third order shear deformation theory and the linear layer-wise theory for the displacement and electric fields respectively. The third order shear deformation accounts for shear stresses and rotary-inertia, hence, it is suitable for analyzing both thin and thick composite laminated beams with piezoelectric sensors or actuators. Hamilton’s variational principle is used to obtain the general governing equations of the laminated beam. Both static and dynamic test cases are presented to validate the proposed FE model against published benchmark results. The cases include both sensor and actuator applications. Finally, a realistic application of the proposed smart flap model is presented. The actuator is designed and tested to actuate the DAUPHIN type Helicopter blade flap. |