Experimental investigation of electromechanical properties of amplified piezoelectric actuator

This contribution deals with a piezoelectric actuator, using the mechanically increased displacement of the piezoelectric multilayer stack. The main objective is the experimental investigation of the amplified piezoelectric actuator´s linearity under various DC conditions (quasi-static regime) at extreme voltages and loads. The mechanical load was applied to the electrically excited actuator, and the electromechanical characteristics such as displacement vs. driving voltage, and displacement vs. applied load force were measured. The mechanically rigid frame was designed and contructed, and a new optical method was used for measurement of the resultant displacement. The results are discussed and compared with published data. The knowledge is applied to the actuator APA 100S, designed by the CEDRAT Technologies, Grenoble, France.