Flutter analysis of piezoelectric beams in MEMS

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) represent a huge class of devices characterized by the smart coupling between electronics and mechanics, in order to obtain microscopic sensors and actuators. The use of piezoelectric materials in MEMS is steadily increasing, considering both the “direct effect”, e.g. in energy harvesters, and the “indirect effect”, for the cases of resonators, micropumps and other actuators. This paper is devoted to the study of piezoelectric laminate beams in the presence of aeroelastic effects due to the interaction of the structure with a fluid flow, as it may happen if the MEMS is embedded in a fluidic system. More specifically, the analytical conditions for the onset of flutter instability are studied, with the purpose of providing a sound basis for further studies focused on energy harvesting from fluid flows.