MEMS Wind Speed Sensor: Large Deflection of Curved Micro-Cantilever Beam Under Uniform Horizontal Force

Abstract

Micro-cantilever beams are currently employed as sensor in various fields. Of main applications, is using such beams in wind speed sensors. For this purpose, curved out of plane micro-cantilever beams are used. Uniform pressure on such beams causes a large deflection of beam. General mechanics of material theory deals with small deflection and thus cannot be used for explaining this deflection. Although there are a body of works on analysing of large deflection [1], nonlinear deflection, of curved beams [2], yet there is no research on large deflection of curved beam under horizontal uniform distributed force. Theoretically, the wind force is applying horizontally on curved micro-cantilever beam. Here, we neglect the effect of moving weather from beam sides. We first aim how to drive the governed equation. A curved beam does not have a calculable centroid. Also large deflection of beam changes its curvature which would change the centroid of beam consciously. The variation of centroid makes very though calculating the bending moment of each cross section in the beam. To address this issue, an integral equation will be used. The total force will be considered as a single force applied at the centroid. The second challenge is solving the governed nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE). Although there are several methods to solve analytically nonlinear ODE, Lie symmetry method, with all its complication, is a general method for this kind of equations. This approach covers all current methods in analytical solving nonlinear ODEs. In this method, an infinitesimal transformation should be calculated. All transformations under one parameter creates a group that called Lie group. A value of parameter which transfers the equation onto itself is called invariant of ODE. One can calculate canonical coordinates ODEs by the invariant. Solving the canonical coordinates ODEs yields to calculating the canonical coordinates. Canonical coordinate are used to reduce the order of nonlinear ODE [3]. By repeating this method one can solve high order ODEs. Our last question is how to do numerical solution of ODE. The possible answer will help to explain the phenomena of deflection clearly and compare the analytical solution with numerical results. Small dimensions of beam, small values of applied force from one side and Young modules value from the other side, will create a stiff ODE. Authors experience in this area shows that the best method to sole these kind of equations is LSODE. This method can be used in Maple. Here, primary calculations show that the governed equation is second order nonlinear ODE and we propose two possible invariants to solve ODE. Overall, the primary numerical solution has shown perfect match with the exact solution.