Presently, there is no standard testing procedure for piezoelectric actuators. It is then very difficult for a very specific given application to design the most efficient actuator in terms of blocked force, displacement, power consumption, weight, cost, etc.

Piezoelectric actuator suppliers would like to have the possibility to fully characterize their actuators to be able to guide their customers on selection of the most suitable actuator based on their utilization. However, this is not an easy goal to reach since performance of a given actuator depends on the specific dynamic conditions under which it is applied. In order to characterize an actuator, it is therefore necessary to recreate similar conditions to those experienced in the real application. Because of the infinite variety of possible applications for piezoelectric actuators, physically recreating those conditions could take an enormous amount of time, means and money.

The aim of the research is then to develop the technology required in order to test an actuator under a various range of dynamic load conditions using a single automated test set-up. To do so, a second actuator will be used with a suitable sensing apparatus (impedance head) and an active control system. Using data from the sensing apparatus (force and velocity signals), the active control system will drive the second actuator to recreate any load condition the first actuator would be supposed to experience in a real application.

[Vita removed May 14, 2012. Gmc]