Influence of multiple piezoelectric effects on sensors and actuators

To reveal the influence of multiple piezoelectric effects (MPE) on piezoelectric sensors/actuators and to improve their performance, the general theoretical models to calculate MPE under a stress and an electric field are established and validated experimentally. A piezostack is used as sensors and actuators for MPE experiments by means of some effective methods. Taking the MPE into consideration, the output voltages of sensors and output displacements of actuators are obtained. Analytical and experimental results show that the piezoelectrics' dielectric, piezoelectric property and even stiffness can be enhanced in view of MPE. Thus, the sensitivity and resolution of the piezoelectric sensors and actuators can be improved through eliminating the influence of MPE. Meanwhile, both theoretical analysis and experiment prove that multiple direct and multiple converse piezoelectric effects have the equal piezoelectric coefficients.

► We introduce influence of multiple piezoelectric effects (MPE) on sensors/actuators.
► The general models of MPE under a stress and an electric field are presented.
► We design experiments to obtain the influence results of MPE on sensors/actuators.
► Dielectric, piezoelectric property and stiffness are enhanced in view of MPE.
► Piezoelectric coefficients of multiple direct and converse effects are equal.