Need help finding a suitable piezo actuator

[ToInfinity]

Hi there,
I'm an undergrad and I'm designing a system at the moment. It utilizes a LRA (Linear Resonant Actuator), but I'm in need of much higher accelerations than what it offers. The current device is small (about 10 mm), circular, and produces about 1.7G of acceleration on a 100g object. A link of what I am currently using can be found here: https://catalog.precisionmicrodrive...10-000-10mm-linear-resonant-actuator-3mm-type

However, for many reasons, from my research I have determined that it would be better to utilize a piezoelectric actuator.
I am not very experienced in this field though and am wondering if I could get much larger accelerations (5-10G+) at somewhat similar frequencies out of a piezo actuator that is about the same size.

Thanks for the help!

 

[joshmorris]

I've worked with LRAs before, but not piezo actuators. From a few google searches it seems as though most piezo sites use force as a measurement and they are capable of generating many thousands of Newtons so you should be able to get your acceleration. They also show some resonance frequencies, but I'm not sure if that's the vibration frequency or something else. They also use the term stroke, and I'm not sure if that's the amount the actuator moves or the device it is attached to. I'm also not sure about the size and how the piezo actuator works (they require large voltages, but I'm not sure about the current/how it works, etc...).

Hopefully this helped at least a little bit. Maybe another physics forum member can chime in and help fill in the gaps :)

 

[anorlunda]

The OP omitted a key requirement. How much distance (travel) must the actuator move. A high force piezo actuator I found on google only has a travel of 300 micro-meters.

 

[ToInfinity]

The OP omitted a key requirement. How much distance (travel) must the actuator move. A high force piezo actuator I found on google only has a travel of 300 micro-meters.

I don't really care how much the actuator moves, just how much acceleration/frequency it provides to the object it is affecting. Any additional information on how the actuator/whole system moves is just a plus.

 

[anorlunda]

I don't really care how much the actuator moves, just how much acceleration/frequency it provides to the object it is affecting. Any additional information on how the actuator/whole system moves is just a plus.

Then I don't understand why you had to post this question. I did a google search on piezoelectric actuator. One of the http://www.physikinstrumente.com/product-detail-page/p-007-p-056-102600.html gave a table of specifications for dozens of different models.

http://www.physikinstrumente.com/product-detail-page/p-007-p-056-102600.html

Displacement
Diameter OD
Length L
Blocking force
Stiffness
Electrical capacitance
Resonant frequency

What more information do you need?

 

[dlgoff]

What more information do you need?

Nice. I'm bookmarking this one.

 

[ToInfinity]

I'm sort of confused about the resonance frequency. I get that at the mechanical resonance it vibrates most effectively, but to my understanding a hertz is a cycle a second...but if things are like 126 kHz does that mean they vibrate 126,000 times per second?