Dynamic response in magnetic force control using a laminate composite of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials

We investigate the dynamic response of a magnetic force control device composed of a laminate composite of magnetostrictive/piezoelectric material. The device exploits the inverse magnetostrictive effect of a magnetostrictive material so that the variation in the magnetization of the material, and hence the magnetic force in a magnetic circuit, can be controlled with a voltage to the piezoelectric material. Here, we compare the voltage-induced frequency responses of the admittance and flux (magnetic force) between the new device and a conventional electromagnet in order to identify the factors that degrade the response of the device. A finite-element calculation of the modal shape of the composite supports the observed correlation between the vibration of the composite and the flux in the gap in dynamic response.