PZT behavior in cyclic strain environments

This paper presents results of an experiment designed to determine the impact of repeated strain cycles on lead ziconate titanate (PZT) transducers affixed to an aluminum test specimen. The goal of this research effort is to determine the impact of three cyclic strain levels on PZTs affixed with two different glue types. PZT transducers are evaluated because they are one of the leading health monitoring technologies used in aircraft structures due to their ability to transmit and receive Lamb Waves. Analysis of changes in the received signals can indicate the presence of structural damage. This monitoring paradigm can only be successful if signal changes due to exposure to aircraft environmental factors (temperature/strain/pressure cycles, etc) over time can be clearly identified and characterized. This paper presents the results and initial analysis of experiments to determine the changes in signal responses due to cyclic mechanical strain. Results indicate cyclic strain at 800 με has no effect to 510K cycles, while cyclic strain at 1700 and 2600 με both cause signal loss to varying degrees.

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