Piezo-based Cantilever Innovations: Advanced Sensing and Actuation in Fluids

This research presents the development of a piezo-base cantilever sensor for fluidic application and the experimental and numerical analysis is performed to improve its frequency response. The four models of the piezoelectric cantilever sensor M1, M2, M3 and M4 are modeled and fabricated. The numerical study shows that providing hole under the piezo-patch of the piezoelectric cantilever sensor is quite effective from the point of view of voltage response while the hole at the free end hardly affect the voltage response of the sensor. M4 model is found best from the point of view of resonant frequency and high voltage generation in response to a particular stimulus. Further, the experimental and numerical results show a decrement in the resonant frequency and the peak height with the increment in the immersed length of the cantilever under water. The hole at the free end of the cantilever is not beneficial from the point of view of high resonant frequency shift on changing the operating condition from air to water. The experimental results also show that the Q-factor of the piezoelectric cantilever sensor decreases on providing the hole under its piezo-patch and increases when the hole is provided at its free end side. The decline in the Q-factor of all the piezoelectric cantilever sensor models is observed on changing the operating condition from air to water as the water causes more loss of vibration energy.