Piezoelectric synthetic jets for aircraft control surfaces

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Piezoelectric synthetic jets for aircraft control surfaces

Bryant, R.G. / Fox, R.L. / Lachowicz, J.T. / Chen, F.J.

The concept of using piezoelectric actuators in devices that alter the way in which an airfoil interacts with its environment is not new. In fact, several notable research institutions, federal laboratories and industrial partners are actively pursuing this type of research. The main driving force for this activity is increased fuel economy, lighter aircraft and the elimination of hydraulically actuated control surfaces. Several years ago, researchers at NASA developed a process that uniformly prestressed the piezoelectric actuators resulting increased movement at low frequencies. The key to this increased motion was the ability to develop an evenly prestressed actuator that behaved like a leaf spring. In order to take full advantage of this piezoelectric wafer, the fixturing and drive electronics had to be developed. This is a critical issue for all piezoelectric systems. This paper describes the characteristics and performances of these high displacement actuators and the devices that incorporate these actuators to create the synthetic jets. It is envisioned that these devices will play a critical role in the future of aeronautics.