A new class of polymeric piezoelectric bimorph actuators, called C-blocks because of their curved shape, has been developed to overcome limitations of conventional bimorph and stack piezoelectric configurations. A hybrid optimization procedure has been developmed for efficient implementation of these actuators. The procedure developed is used to investigate design trade-offs associated with various performance criteria such as maximum deflection, force and strain energy. The set of design variables to optimize the C-block actuators, which can be used alone or can be combined in series and/or parallel, includes both continuous and discrete parameters. This necessitates the development of a hybrid optimization technique. The results of the optimization procedure indicate useful trends in the design variables for the efficient implementation of these actuators.
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