title: A sensorless drive system for controlling temperature-dependent hysteresis in piezoelectric actuators.
abstract: A novel drive system is described which improves the operational characteristics of piezoelectric actuators. Electronic controls to increase the range of movement across a wide temperature range usually need a temperature sensor for maximum effect. This paper describes a novel system that uses the polarization characteristics of the piezoelectric ceramic to reverse polarize the ceramic without a temperature measurement. Significant improvements in the operating temperature range for devices such as locks or valves are achieved.
authors.affiliation: National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, UK. paul.weaver@npl.co.uk
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design / Q000295:instrumentation; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation; D019563:Mechanics; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D013696:Temperature; D014159:Transducers