Design and closed-loop control of a piezoelectric actuator

Abstract

Piezoelectric elements can produce a high displacement resolution with high force outputs but exhibits large hysteresis nonlinearities. An efficient way to compensate for nonlinearities is using a closed loop control technique. Another limitation for many applications is their relatively short displacement ranges. One method to avoid the above-mentioned shortcoming is to integrate a piezoelectric element with a mechanical displacement amplifier based on a compliant mechanism. This paper presents the design and closed-loop control of such a piezoelectric actuator. Using the integrated strain gauge sensors, a PI controller was designed and tested.