Review on PMN-PT Relaxor Piezoelectric Single Crystal materials for cryogenic actuators

Abstract

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-2240.vid This paper review the developments of relaxor piezoelectric single crystal materials, such as Lead Magnesium Niobate - Lead Titanate (PMN-PT), Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT), Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PZN-PT), for cryogenic actuators. The relaxor piezoelectric single crystal materials have significant advantages over the common piezoelectric ceramic materials. For instance, more than 80% electrotechnical energy conversion efficiency was approved by several experimental studies. Moreover, the electrotechnical energy conversion efficiency remaining 80% at liquid nitrogen temperature (-197oC). Several of high-performance cryogenic actuators have been developed. These actuators can be applied to lunar and space exploration missions, such as actuators for space robotics and cryogenic valves/injectors for cryogenic fluid managements. The relaxor piezoelectric single crystal-based cryogenic actuators have the potential to make weight/volume reduction down to 20% in comparison with PZT ceramics, which are the popular used piezoelectric materials. The high-performance Cryogenic actuation is also advance other space applications such as primary mirror segment and secondary mirror alignment (position actuators), primary mirror segment figure control (force actuators), deformable mirror control, structure deployment, and many others. The review will provide more choices for aerospace sectors for their future components and system designs.