Sep 14 2011
At the 2011 Multinational Ballistic Missile Defense Conference and Exhibition, R&D Engineer Charles Mangeot made a presentation on advances in piezoelectric actuator technology for defense systems. Lightweight amplified actuators and precise actuator drives were in focus as modern defense systems require high performance, fast-acting, lightweight actuators.
The presentation led to positive feedback from the delegates as well as increased interest at the Noliac booth.
Amplified actuators for fins
The Noliac amplified diamond actuator allows large controllable displacements, stability with varying temperatures together with high forces for a minimal weight. The amplified actuator will find applications in systems requiring large controllable displacements together with high forces for a minimal weight.
The diamond frame is more compact than many commercially available amplification systems. In addition, the lower mass and optimised stiffness imply higher mechanical resonance compared to other solutions, allowing operation at higher frequency.
Lightweight amplified piezoelectric actuators developed for the aerospace industry can typically find applications in fins and demonstrate extremely high energy density.
Potential applications for the amplified actuator are: Active vibration control, primary / secondary surface control in particular for high speed applications, and direct drive valves
Actuator drives for beam steering
Noliac's Piezoelectric Actuator Drive (PAD) is a drive technology transforming the linear motion of high performance piezoelectric multilayer actuators into a powerful and precisely controllable rotation.
The PAD is scalable in terms of power, relative speed and torque. Further, the drive is extremely precise and can be operated under extreme conditions such as high magnetic fields, radiation, vacuum and high temperature, and there is no magnetic stray field.
The PAD solves the drawbacks of piezoelectric ultrasonic motors and advantageously replaces servomotors for rapid and precise motion such as for beam steering.
Potential applications for the actuator drive are: Antenna adjustment, servo valve, and fin control.