Linear actuators
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Piezo qualification for space applications
6 January 2002
Piezoelectric actuators are generally deemed good candidates for driving compact and efficient mechanisms, offering advantages like fine precision, fast time response, low power consumption, cost annd easier implementation. But to meet space, devices have to comply to many other requirements besides functional ones.
Piezo technology in Synchrotron
8 October 2018
Synchrotrons need robust products. That’s why the association of piezo actuator technology and CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES
(CTEC) know-how has been successful for synchrotron mechanisms projects. The technological brick is the “Amplified Piezo Actuator” (APA®) tested and widely used in space applications, it is often implemented in CTEC piezo mechanisms and provides a high level of robustness. Modifying the layout and the number of APA® allows several needs to be addressed within beamlines. Three applications developed in collaboration with the EMBL, PAL and SOLEIL will be presented in this paper.
The first application consists of cutting a beam with a piezo shutter. The maximum beam diameter is 3 mm. The second mechanism allows the energy of a beam to be modified by using a series of piezo actuated filters. And the last mechanism
aims at modifying the beam section shape with an active piezo micro-slits mechanism.
Piezo-composite transducer for mode and direction selectivity of Lamb waves
19 June 2023
Ultrasonic-based SHM (Structural Health Monitoring) applications commonly rely on the use of piezo-electric patches to emit and receive ultrasonic waves. The objective is to study the propagation of the waves through a structure to assess its structural integrity. Because of the elevated number of echoes and possible modes of propagation of the waves within the structure, those applications suffer from a burden of signal processing. This paper presents a composite piezo-electric patch that was designed and successfully tested for reducing the complexity of the SHM detection schemes by selecting the mode and direction of the Lamb waves received. The piezo-composite is composed of a row of eight independent ceramic pillars separated with polymer, so it is a 1-D matrix of independent piezo-patches. Used with adequate electronics and signal processing, it was shown that it allowed selecting the direction and the mode of the Lamb waves.
Piezoelectric Actuator for precise and fast Oval Pistons manufacturing
19 June 2023
Piezoelectric Actuator and related driving & control electronic for precise and fast «Oval Pistons» manufacturing Oval pistons are used in all automotive industry. Every vehicle, motorbike, car and truck uses oval pistons. The reason is that pistons in these vehicles are working in very hot environment and as a consequence, the external shape deformation induced thermal growth of the piston is compensated by these «ovalities» (oval shapes).
Potentialities of APA® composite shell actuators and SA75D amplifier for new dynamic applications
11 January 2016
The piloting of APA’s composite shell by SA75D power amplifier offers new opportunities for dynamic new applications. Two in particular were received and are being studied: the design of a compact table tensile micro machine for characterizing stress-strain laws at high strain rate of wires, fibers, strands and textile samples that will usefully complete the fleet of dynamic testing machines available, the generation of synthetic jets of air pulsed also studied at ONERA. The energy capacity (displacement, force) without or with an external linear load were modeled versus the rise time using the Simulink code and experimentally measured using a very light device. Other identified improvements remain to be implemented both at the APA’s actuators as the Amplifier SA75D to get some gains.
Preliminary Design of a Trailing Edge Morphing Surface for Rotorcraft
8 March 2020
This paper presents an overview of the preliminary design process and findings aimed at morphing of trailing edge (TE) control surfaces for rotorcraft. A design methodology for a camber morphing control surface is presented, although twist can also be induced by applying differential camber of the morphing section span. The concept investigated relies on utilizing conventional aircraft structures and materials for morphing purposes; thus, in essence, has the potential to fulfil the conflicting requirements of lightweight, flexibility and strength at the same time. Based on this concept, the preliminary design work shows that an active trailing edge camber morphing mechanism can be designed after careful considerations of design and actuation requirements. The numerical results presented also indicate that such a morphing scheme increases the 2D aerodynamic efficiency.
