Study of a piezoelectric plate based self-sustained electric and electromechanical oscillator

Abstract This work deals with the electrical characterization of a piezoelectric plate and its use to generate self-sustained electrical and mechanical oscillations. An experimental frequency-impedance curve of the piezoelectric plate is obtained leading to the electric equivalent of the piezoelectric plate constituted of a capacitive branch in parallel with many RLC resonant branches. The values of the electric components for each branch are determined using the resonant and anti-resonant frequencies. It is demonstrated theoretically that these branches can be understood in terms of vibration modes of the plate; each of which has its own resonant frequency. It is then demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that putting the piezoelectric plate in series with a resistor presenting a nonlinear I − V characteristics having a negative slope, autonomous oscillations of the Van der Pol type can be observed. A theoretical development has led to the appearance of self-sustained periodic and mixed modes mechanical oscillations of the plate deflection.