Piezoelectric devices selleck chemical Dorsomorphin mostly used in connection with these structures are piezoceramic thin, flat patches, which are electroded on their upper and lower surfaces, see Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries e.g., sellectchem Miu [9]. When the two electrodes of such a patch are properly connected to the ground and to an electric voltage supply, respectively, a difference in electric potential across the patch takes place, which produces an electric field in the piezoceramic material of the patch. When the deformation of the patch is unconstrained, it then changes its geometric extensions, due to the converse piezoelectric effect. On the other hand, when this patch is deformed through an external action, such as imposed forces, temperature changes or imposed displacements, it is possible Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries to detect an electric voltage or charge, respectively, at the electrodes, due to the direct piezoelectric effect.

Now, when such a patch is firmly bonded to a surface of Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries a primary structure, Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries or when it is firmly integrated within a primary structure, then the patch intends to follow the deformation Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries of the latter, despite that it is now partially constrained, and the deformation induced in the patch can be used for sensing purposes. On the other hand, when an electric field is applied to the patch due to a difference in electric voltage at its electrodes, then the patch intends to deform the primary structure, which generally leads to an actuation of the latter.

One particularly talks about a smart structure, when sensing and actuation of Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries a primary structure via patches are coordinated by an automatic control system.

The primary Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries structure with a bonded or integrated piezoceramic patch then seemingly reacts to GSK-3 external disturbances like a living being. The notion of intelligent Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries structures therefore is in use, too. For reviews on the theory and application of smart selleck chemicals Lapatinib or intelligent structures, see e.g., Crawley [10], Tani et al. [11], Tzou [12], Rao and Sunar [13], and Liu et al. [14, 15]. Main applications of smart structures are the control of disturbing vibrations. In order to distinguish between passive vibration damping, one also talks about active control of structural vibrations. For a review on active structural vibration control, see e.

g., Alkhatib and Golnaraghi [16]. See also the Proceedings of the World and European Conferences on Structural Control, e.g., [17�C20]. In case the goal is a complete suppression of vibrations, such that the primary structure keeps its original undisturbed geometric shape everywhere and at any time, the notion of shape control is in use, see e.g., Irschik [21] for Cilengitide a review. This notion is sometimes also used when the displacement selleck chemicals Lenalidomide field of the structure is intended to follow a prescribed non-zero field of trajectories, which usually is called displacement tracking.