Nonlinear vibration analysis of piezoelectric bending actuators: Theoretical and experimental studies

Piezoelectric bimorph actuators are used in a variety of applications, including micro positioning, vibration control, and micro robotics. The nature of the aforementioned applications calls for the dynamic characteristics identification of actuator at the embodiment design stage. For decades, many linear models have been presented to describe the dynamic behavior of this type of actuators; however, in many situations, such as resonant actuation, the piezoelectric actuators exhibit a softening nonlinear behavior; hence, an accurate dynamic model is demanded to properly predict the nonlinearity. In this study, first, the nonlinear stress–strain relationship of a piezoelectric material at high frequencies is modified. Then, based on the obtained constitutive equations and Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, a continuous nonlinear dynamic model for a piezoelectric bending actuator is presented. Next, the method of multiple scales is used to solve the discretized nonlinear differential equations. Finally, the results are compared with the ones obtained experimentally and nonlinear parameters are identified considering frequency response and phase response simultaneously. Also, in order to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed model, it is tested out of the identification range as well.     

Modeling of hard disk drives for shock and vibration analysis – consideration of nonlinearities and discontinuities

This paper reviews recent advances (mostly after year 2000) in shock and vibration analysis of hard disk drives (HDD) considering the presence of nonlinearities and discontinuities. Components and dynamic phenomena in HDD where effects of mechanical nonlinearity and discontinuities are significant are discussed, e.g., head actuator suspension, dimple and slider, head–disk interface, fluid dynamic bearing, spinning disks, and load/unload dynamics. Ways to model these nonlinearities and discontinuities are reviewed in detail. Our research on modeling an entire HDD in operating mode subject to shock and vibration using a flexible multibody dynamics formulation is also presented. The numerical simulation of the shock response of a 1-in. form factor HDD is presented. A half-sinusoidal acceleration shock is applied at the base of the HDD. Response of the flying height for different shock amplitudes and duration times is simulated.     

Sliding mode maneuvering control and active vibration damping of three-axis stabilized flexible spacecraft with actuator dynamics

This paper presents a dual-stage control system design method for the three-axis-rotational maneuver control and vibration stabilization of a spacecraft with flexible appendages embedded with piezoceramics as sensor and actuator. In this design approach, the attitude control system and vibration suppression were designed separately using a lower order model. Based on the sliding mode control (SMC) theory, a discontinuous attitude control law in the form of the input voltage of the reaction wheel is derived to control the orientation of the spacecraft actuated by the reaction wheel, in which the reaction wheel dynamics is also considered from the real applications point of view. The asymptotic stability is shown using Lyapunov analysis. Furthermore, an adaptive version of the proposed attitude control law is also designed for adapting the unknown upper bounds of the lumped disturbance so that the limitation of knowing the bound of the disturbance in advance is released. In addition, the concept of varying the width of boundary layer instead of a fixed one is also employed to eliminate the chattering and improve the pointing precision as well. For actively suppressing the induced vibration, modal velocity feedback and strain rate feedback control methods are presented and compared by using piezoelectric materials as additional sensors and actuators bonded on the surface of the flexible appendages. Numerical simulations are performed to show that rotational maneuver and vibration suppression are accomplished in spite of the presence of disturbance torque and parameter uncertainty.     

Global bifurcations and chaotic motions of a flexible multi-beam structure

Global bifurcations and multi-pulse chaotic motions of flexible multi-beam structures derived from an L-shaped beam resting on a vibrating base are investigated considering one to two internal resonance and principal resonance. Base on the exact modal functions and the orthogonality conditions of global modes, the PDEs of the structure including both nonlinear coupling and nonlinear inertia are discretized into a set of coupled autoparametric ODEs by using Galerkin’s technique. The method of multiple scales is applied to yield a set of autonomous equations of the first order approximations to the response of the dynamical system. A generalized Melnikov method is used to study global dynamics for the “resonance case”. The present analysis indicates multi-pulse chaotic motions result from the existence of Šilnikov’s type of homoclinic orbits and the critical parameter surface under which the system may exhibit chaos in the sense of Smale horseshoes are obtained. The global results are finally interpreted in terms of the physical motion of such flexible multi-beam structure and the dynamical mechanism on chaotic pattern conversion between the localized mode and the coupled mode are revealed.     

From Double Bind to N-Bind: Toward a New Theory of Schizophrenia and Family Interaction

Double Bind Theory has long been discredited as a viable theoretical framework to understand the relationship between schizophrenia and family interaction. Since research continues to indicate that the family environment plays a crucial role in the development and/or maintenance of the disorder, a reconsideration of the status of Double Bind is both necessary and timely. This paper utilizes a Nonlinear Dynamical Systems framework to bring the theory up to date with current dynamical thinking, and renames the resulting model N-Bind theory. The premises of N-Bind theory are discussed, and the symptoms of schizophrenia are described in light of the theory. The compatibility of N-Bind theory with the Vulnerability-Stress model is discussed, and a procedure is proposed to test the two hypotheses which postulate on different levels of analysis that Binds are more likely to occur in families with than without a schizophrenic member. Some of the implications for treatment and prevention are considered, should the theory be supported by empirical evidence.     

Transmural pressure effects on the stability of clamped cylindrical shells subjected to internal fluid flow: Theory and experiments

An experimental and theoretical parametric study is undertaken to investigate the effect of transmural pressure on the non-linear dynamics and stability of circular cylindrical shells with clamped ends subjected to internal fluid flow. The theoretical structural model is based on the Donnell non-linear shallow shell theory, and potential flow theory is employed to describe the fluid-structure interaction. It is found that, for low transmural pressures in the range investigated, the shell loses stability by static subcritical divergence, while for higher transmural pressures the loss of stability is supercritical. In addition, there are ranges of flow velocity in which the shell exhibits quasi-periodic or even chaotic behaviour.     

Continuum thermodynamics of ferroelectric domain evolution: Theory, finite element implementation, and application to domain wall pinning

A continuum thermodynamics framework is devised to model the evolution of ferroelectric domain structures. The theory falls into the class of phase-field or diffuse-interface modeling approaches. Here a set of micro-forces and governing balance laws are postulated and applied within the second law of thermodynamics to identify the appropriate material constitutive relationships. The approach is shown to yield the commonly accepted Ginzburg-Landau equation for the evolution of the polarization order parameter. Within the theory a form for the free energy is postulated that can be applied to fit the general elastic, piezoelectric and dielectric properties of a ferroelectric material near its spontaneously polarized state. Thereafter, a principle of virtual work is specified for the theory and is implemented to devise a finite element formulation. The theory and numerical methods are used to investigate the fields near straight 180° and 90° domain walls and to determine the electromechanical pinning strength of an array of line charges on 180° and 90° domain walls.