Displacement sensing with quasi-zero stiffness structure and flexoelectricity

Abstract

Flexoelectricity is a strain-gradient-induced electromechanical coupling effect promising for high-resolution sensing. A novel displacement sensing method is developed based on long-range quasi-zero stiffness and flexoelectricity. The structure of curved beams is geometrically designed by optimizing the mechanical and flexoelectric responses. For the optimal configuration, the predicted load-displacement properties and flexoelectric polarization obtained based on finite element analyses agree well with experimental observations. Within the quasi-zero stiffness range, the exported flexoelectric charge shows significant linearity to structure deformation. This study contributes a novel approach for displacement sensing with the combination of quasi-zero stiffness and flexoelectricity, providing insights into applications of flexoelectricity in functional materials and structures.

Tunable integrated quasi-zero-stiffness metamaterials for ultra-low-frequency vibration isolation

“…Zhang et al [53] proposes a compliant QZS isolator to isolate low-frequency torsional vibrations in the shaft system, and the stiffness characteristics of the QZS isolator are deduced analytically based on the energy method. In addition, some compact or large deflection compliant QZS structures also broaden the research of QZS metamaterials [54,55]. These QZS metamaterials adopt the design concept of a compliant mechanism, with compact and modular structure.…”