Topology optimization of micro piezoelectric actuators and energy harvesters at femto-st institute: summary and MATLAB code implementation

This paper primarily summarize the research efforts conducted within the AS2M department of the FEMTO-ST institute, focusing on topology optimization of piezoelectric structures. In this regard, the principles and the possibilities offered by topology optimization with a specific emphasis on the SIMP approach (Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization) are highlighted. The design processes of piezoelectric micro-actuators and energy harvesters are described, The optimized piezoelectric structures are presented and the improvements over classical designs are assessed. Moreover, in this paper, we present the eigenvalue optimization of the piezoelectric energy harvester by tuning the mass of attachment as an optimization variable. The theoretical development is accompanied by the developed MATLAB code to implement the topology optimization algorithm. This code is the update and extension of the previously published codes by authors for piezoelectric structures while it will be the first published code of its kind that considers the tuning of the natural frequency of the piezo structure. Finally, the paper discusses the feasibility and the potential of multi-material topology optimization.