Piezoelectric Single Crystal Hybrid Actuators

The feasibility of a device that exploits the key properties of piezoelectric single crystals will be demonstrated. The device is a power-by-wire hybrid actuator incorporating a piezoelectric pump. The actuator will be effective in shipboard applications and in UUVs or UAVs that use conventional control surfaces or more exotic morphing control. The actuator will benefit directly from high strains, high electromechanical coupling and high energy density typical of single crystal materials. The single crystals will contribute to significantly increased efficiency and power density in the core piezoelectric pump, resulting in an actuator that exceeds the power density of electric motors. By leveraging ongoing developments in DARPA's Compact Hybrid Actuator Program, this research will make a directly relevant comparison with devices that use conventional smart materials. It will also use hardware, analyses and test techniques already developed to accelerate progress. A single pump-based hybrid actuator will be designed and tested against mechanical loads representative of control surfaces. The benefits of the single crystal material will be quantified in terms of increased power output per unit mass and volume. In Phase 2, CSA and its large shipbuilding industrial partner, will develop the actuation further and test it in a full scale system.