Piezoelectric effect

A piezoelectric substance is a crystalline mineral which responds to a mechanical force by generating an electric charge.

The substance may be considered as a lattice of electric dipoles, which together form a polarized field. When the field undergoes mechanical stress, the field changes its polarization, either through a physical reconfiguration of the dipole lattice or a re-orientation of the dipole moments under stress. This is the piezoelectric effect.

 

Piezoelectric material (1) before poling, (2) after poling. Adapted from source: http://www.physikinstrumente.com/tutorial/4_15.html


The piezoelectric effect is reciprocal, meaning: A) a piezoelectric substance will respond to a mechanical force by generating an electric charge, and; B) it will respond to an electric field by generating a mechanical response. This latter response is called the inverse piezoelectric effect.

The piezoelectric effect and its inverse are also proportional. The voltage generated by the piezoelectric effect is proportional to: A) the amount of force applied, and; B) the type of force applied (i.e. tension and compression produce opposite polarities). Likewise, the mechanical response of the inverse piezoelectric effect is proportional to: A) the field's strength, and; B) the field’s polarity.

The piezoelectric effect is passive, and requires no additional power other than the mechanical or electric stimulus.

 

 

Applications (Aleksi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHp95e-CwWQ

 

Materials (Kiia)

Modeling piezoelectric sensing:

As earlier we determined how piezoelectric will work and here is explanation how to determine a g-coefficent:

g_n_n = \frac{d_n_n}{\varepsilon_0\varepsilon_n_n}

 Determining the coefficent a voltage gradient:

\frac{V}{m}/\frac{V}{m^2}

Determining other coefficent which h is determined:

\frac{V}{m}/\frac{V}{m}

Piezoelectrical phenomenon is said in other words that it changes mechanical energy into electrical energy

It can be determined as the following:

coupling coefficents kmn is:

k_m_n = \sqrt{d_m_n \cdot h_m_n}

The capacitance of piezoelectric can be determined by using the formula as below:

C = \kappa\varepsilon_0\frac{a}{l}

where a is area and l is the crystal thickness

At last the output voltage can be calculated such as:

V = \frac{d_1_1}{C}F_x = \frac{d_1_1l}{\kappa \varepsilon_0a}F_x

 

References

http://www.piceramic.com/piezo_effect.php

https://www.americanpiezo.com/knowledge-center/piezo-theory/piezoelectricity.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity

Jacob Fraden: Handbook of Modern Sensors (Physics Designs and Applications), Fourth Edition, Springer