Observation-Oriented Design of a Monolithic Piezoelectric Microactuator with Optimally Integrated Sensor

This paper presents an evolution in an optimization method, called FlexIn, developed for the optimal design of piezoelectric compliant smart structures. FlexIn is based on a flexible building block method that uses a genetic algorithm approach, to optimize a truss-like planar structure made of piezoelectric passive, active and, with the work reported in this paper, sensitive building blocks. The model of these blocks is established by means of a finite-element electromechanical formulation. The main contribution of this paper is to present a new observation-oriented criterion, along with a static electromechanical one, considered in the optimization procedure for the optimal placement of piezoactuating and piezosensing parts in the compliant micro-structure. In order to underline the interests of such a criterion, performances of three pseudo-optimal piezoelectric smart structures are drawn. Their analysis and comparison illustrate the role of the optimization method and the observation-oriented criterion, in the design of smart structures and in simplifying their control afterwards.