Abstract: This paper focuses on an investigation into non-contact shape control of a beam with surface bonded photostrictive actuators. The operating mechanism of PLZT photostrictive actuator is discussed in this paper and an opto-electromechanical finite element model is developed for accurate analysis of multiphysics’ effects with optical-electric-mechanical-thermal coupling. The Enhanced Assumed strain and Assumed Natural strain methods are used to improve the element’s performance. Based on both genetic algorithm and finite element analysis, a general method of non-contact shape control for the beam is presented by using PLZT photostrictive actuator. In this method, the light intensity acting on photostrictive actuator are chosen as a design parameter and shape errors between the desired shape and the achieved shape are taken as an objective function. Numerical simulation results show that this method is robust and effective, and can well realize the non-contact shape control of a beam with surface bonded photostrictive optical actuators.

Key words: PLZT Photostrictive actuators, Non-contact shape control, Finite element method, genetic algorithm