Analysis on a composite cantilever beam coupling a piezoelectric bimorph to an elastic blade

Abstract Lumped-mass modelling was adopted to analyse a composite piezoelectric cantilever, coupling a piezoelectric bimorph to an elastic plate. This composite cantilever structure was practically useful as micro electronic fan and large-angle scanner. Analytical solutions were resulted from the lumped-mass model to describe the deflection of the composite cantilever beam. Critical effects on the deflection magnitude were identified and discussed. The model and its analytical solutions in this study illustrated the general trends associated with changing the parameters of the structure and materials, and provided general guideline for optimising the design. Several prototypes with modified structure were developed. Preliminary experimental results not only qualitatively or semi-quantitatively verified our theoretical analysis, but also showed that a deflection angle as large as ±47° was achieved at 53 Hz.