Micro/nano displacement sensor for piezoelectric actuator with multi-stage expansion mechanism

In this paper, a micro/nano displacement sensor for PZT actuator which could measure the minute displacement in micron or nanometer level has been proposed. This paper focus on the whole process of this novel sensor from the working principle, parameter determination to the FEM simulation and so forth. This sensor can enlarge the displacement of the PZT by utilizing the lever principle and the strain gauges can perceive the variation without amplifying the noise. About this sensor, we also use the flexure hinges as the rotation joints to obtain the expansion. In addition, we provide the accurate model for this special kind of displacement sensor, and through that people could design and set every parameter freely. Whatever the simulation results in FEM or the experiment data, both of which show that the sensor can perceive the displacement of the PZT actuator in micro/nano scale. Also, the characteristic experiment shows that the proposed sensor has a better performance such as higher level linearity, resolution than its former two generations.