MULTI-LAYER PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR AND ITS APPLICATION IN CONTROLLABLE CONSTRAINED DAMPING TREATMENT

A kind of novel multi-layer piezoelectric actuator is proposed and integrated with controllable constrained damping treatment to perform hybrid vibration control. The governing equation of the system is derived based on the constitutive equations of elastic, viscoelastic and piezoelectric materials, which shows that the magnitude of control force exerted by multi-layer piezoelectric actuator is the quadratic function of the number of piezoelectric laminates used but in direct proportion to control voltage. This means that the multi-layer actuator can produce greater actuating force than that by piezoelectric laminate actuator with the same area under the identical control voltage. The optimal location placement of the multi-layer piezoelectric actuator is also discussed. As an example, the hybrid vibration control of a cantilever rectangular thin-plate is numerically simulated and carried out experimentally. The simulated and experimental results validate the power of multi-layer piezoelectric actuator and indicate that the present hybrid damping technique can effectively suppress the low frequency modal vibration of the experimental thin-plate structure.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Mg-12Zn-2Y alloy containing quasicrystal phase fabricated by different casting processes

Although icosahedral quasicrystal phase(denoted as I-phase)has been verified as an outstanding reinforcing phase,the mechanical properties of quasicrystal-reinforced Mg-Zn-Y alloys fabricated by traditional casting processes are still unsatisfactory due to the serious segregation of intermetallic compounds.In this study,the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-12Zn-2Y alloy fabricated by different casting processes,including permanent mold casting,squeeze casting and rheo-squeeze casting with ultrasonic vibration,were systematically investigated and compared.The results show that massive,large-sized I-phase and Mg7Zn3 phase gather together in the permanent mold cast sample,while the squeeze casting process leads to the transformation of I-phase into fine lamellar morphology and the amount of Mg7Zn3 decreases.As to the rheo-squeeze casting process,when the ultrasonic vibration is exerted with power from 800 W to 1,600 W,theα-Mg grains are refined and spheroidized to a large extent,and the lamellar spacing of the eutectic structure is significantly reduced,accompanied by some tiny granular I-phase scattering in theα-Mg matrix.However,when the ultrasonic power continuously increases to 2,400 W,the eutectic structure becomes coarse.The best mechanical properties of the rheo-squeeze cast alloy are obtained when the ultrasonic power is 1,600 W.The microhardness,yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation are 79.9 HV,140 MPa,236 MPa,and 3.25%,which are 44.1%,26.1%,25.5%,132.1%respectively higher than the corresponding values of the squeeze casting sample,and are 47.6%,44.3%,69.8%,and 253.3%respectively higher than the corresponding values of the permanent mold casting sample.