Design, modeling and simulation of a three-layer piezoelectric cantilevered actuator with collocated sensor

A new piezoelectric actuator with collocated sensor is designed, modeled and simulated. The structure has three piezoelectric layers where the two external layers serve for the actuation by a convenient application of electrical potentials, and the middle layer serves as the sensor. After presenting the principle of the structure, a model is developed for the actuator and as well as for the sensor. Then simulation is carried out to evaluate their performances. The novel structure is very promising for applications that require control and automation, especially in situations where the use of sensors is unfeasible or difficult.