Thermal deformation analysis of curved actuator LIPCA with a piezoelectric ceramic layer and fiber composite layers

This paper reports thermal deformation analysis of LIPCA-C2 (Lightweight Piezo-composite Curved Actuator) that is lighter than other conventional piezo-composite type actuator. The LIPCA is composed of a piezoelectric ceramic layer which is sandwiched with composite layers having different CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) and modulus. Due to the asymmetrical lay-up structure of LIPCA, an accurate analysis of thermally induced curvature is very important from the optimal design viewpoint. To investigate the thermal deformation behavior and the induced residual stresses of LIPCA-C2 at room temperature, the curvatures of LIPCA-C2 were measured and compared with those predicted based on the classical lamination theory.