Heat Transfer Analysis and Performance Testing for a Precision Positioning Platform With Thermal Protection.

The performance of piezoelectric stacks can be significantly affected by temperature. Depolarization or even failure of the stacks was caused by high temperatures, while the output performance was reduced by low temperatures. To achieve precise positioning in temperature-variable environments, a compact displacement platform was proposed with thermal protection and an internal heat source. Its size is just 20 x 20 x 32 mm(3). In the design process, the elastic beam method was used to calculate the displacement of the flexible mechanism, which was identical to the experimental results. The thermal equilibrium method was also used to calculate the temperature inside the piezoelectric stack, considering the impact of the stack's own heat generation, as proved by finite element simulation results. Furthermore, thermodynamic simulation was used to examine the temperature distribution of the whole displacement platform and the thermal strain of the flexible mechanism. Finally, the performance of the displacement platform was tested under varied temperatures and found that it can maintain its ideal motion performance under low and high temperatures. Our design enables the displacement platform to operate normally under harsh conditions, providing guidance for the usage of displacement platforms in environments with varying temperatures.