A buildup voltage distribution (BVD) algorithm for shape control of smart plate structures

 An intuitive approach for the determination of voltage distribution in the application to shape control of smart structures using piezoelectric actuators is presented here. The algorithm called the Buildup Voltage Distribution (BVD) is based on an iterative approach inspired by a combination of existing iterative techniques. The mathematical model of the smart structure is based on a High Order Displacement (HOD) field coupled with a Layerwise Linear electric potential. The current shape control work will make use of the Finite Element (FE) formulation based on the above mentioned mathematical model. The development of the BVD algorithm makes no linearity assumption between displacement and voltage and hence can be applied to non-linear mathematical models. The algorithm will then be compared with two well-known algorithms. In addition, a patch insensitivity index is defined to identify the most and least effective locations for piezoelectric actuators. Received: 15 July 1999