Analysis of shaking beam actuator for piezoelectric linear ultrasonic motor

In this paper, piezoelectric linear ultrasonic motors (PLUM) have been investigated on the elliptic trajectory of a contact point in shaking beam, which has been accomplished by two resonance vibration modes of the actuators. The actuators have generated the vibration modes, longitudinal and flexural, by two longitudinal mechanical vibrations with phase difference of pi/2. Modal and harmonic analysis of the shaking beam actuator were performed by the finite element method (FEM) to calculate a resonance frequency and a modal shape and to perform harmonic response. Experimental results proved that a contact point of the PLUM tends to move with an elliptic trajectory.     

Optimization of a new type of ultrasonic linear motor

This paper presents the design, the properties, and the optimization study of a new type of ultrasonic linear motor. Numerical modeling has been carried out and simulations with software have been realized. To avoid performing a large number of simulations, sensitivity analysis has been carried out, in particular using design of experiments. The Doehlert method has been chosen in our study. The results found show that this preoptimization stage allows one to improve the deformation amplitude and to reduce the input parameter variation ranges. Finite element (FE) optimization is then carried out, and results show that the motion amplitudes can be increased compared to the initial design of the motor. Some experiments on prototypes show that the travel range of the motor has been increased while decreasing the applied voltage by a factor of 2.     

New type of piezoelectric ultrasonic motor

The authors describe a newly developed motor concept which allows a bidirectional piezoelectric ultrasonic motor to be operated with only a single voltage feed and thus only one power amplifier. The motor concept is based on the superposition of a longitudinal and a flexural oscillation of a rod-shaped resonator. In a way analogous to the generation of a Lissajous figure, this superposition produces a rotary movement of the resonator end by means of which a rotor is directly driven. By selecting the relative phase of the electrical stimulations of both modes, the speed can be continuously varied in both directions. The motor can be driven in both right and left directions with speeds of 0 to 300 r/min, and a freewheeling state can be set up by means of a suitable phase between the oscillation modes. In the off state, the motor blocks the motion.     

Dynamic linear modeling of a refrigeration process with electronic expansion valve actuator

Usually, commercial control solutions for superheat control still use PID controllers as a standard. Although there are several applications of advanced control in refrigeration processes in the literature, there isn't a consensus about the optimal control solution for each system. The implementation of advanced control algorithms ultimately depends on accurate process knowledge in the form of dynamic mathematical models. This study aims to take a first step toward the designing an adaptive stochastic MPC controller for superheat control in an R404 refrigeration cycle with electronic expansion valve by developing stochastic dynamic models of the process. Both time-varying and time-invariant versions of the models are identified. Statistical validation results show whitening of the residuals of the time-invariant models, creating a basis for comparison. The recursive estimation of the time-varying parameters was realized with the Kalman Filter and the Forgetting Factor algorithms. Results of validation tests by simulation show good results, with average output errors between 0.05 and 1.39°C, indicating that the ARMAX with time-varying parameters may be a good presentation for this system.     

An electrochemically driven actuator based on a nanostructured carbon material

A new type of electrochemically driven actuator is described. This actuator uses graphitic carbon as the electroactive material (as opposed to the polymeric films used in previous devices of this type), and it is the first example of an actuator based on a nanostructured material. The actuator consists of branched carbon nanotubules embedded within the pores of a microporous alumina template membrane. Electrochemical Li(+) intercalation causes this nanotubule-containing membrane to flex, and electrochemical deintercalation causes the membrane to relax to its original position. The characteristics of this new actuator are described here.     

New type of matching layer for air-coupled ultrasonic transducers

This paper presents a new concept in the design of an impedance matching structure for air coupled ultrasonic transducers. A reflective layer structure is inserted between the transducer and propagation medium with a small air space. Adjusting the air space and the reflectivity of the inserted structure causes the transducer impedance to match with the impedance of the propagation medium. Two such structures were investigated as a reflector: a polymer thin film and a thick plate with many holes. Wave impedance theory was applied to these reflecting structures, and the impedance of a thin film layer at the incident surface was calculated using boundary conditions. Impedance of holed plate is calculated in a similar fashion. It was found that the calculated impedance of these structures approximately matched the impedance of the PZT air transducer (40 KHz). The acoustic pressure output was maximized by adjusting the position of the matching structure. A theoretical gain of up to 10 dB in the acoustic pressure was predicted under ideal circumstances, and the experimental observations showed a gain of 9.5 dB in the acoustic pressure for a 12 μm polyethylene film placed at a distance of ~0.1 mm from the transducer's surface. The increase was 9.8 dB for a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film and 9.7 dB for a 1.5 mm printed circuit board with many holes at a distance of ~25 μm from the transducer's surface     

Design of a traveling wave type ultrasonic motor

The purpose of the present paper is to establish a method of design for a traveling wave type ultrasonic motor. This method is based on two models for the ultrasonic motor. A two-dimensional elastic contact model is used for estimating the friction drive between the rotor and vibrator of the motor. Moreover, an electrical equivalent circuit is used to estimate the interaction between the electrical and mechanical parts of the vibrator. The proposed method is applied to the design of a prototype motor. To determine applicability of the method, the load characteristics of the prototype motor are measured. The measured characteristics agree with the required ones which are specified in advance. As a result, the validity of the proposed method is experimentally confirmed     

Design of a hybrid transducer type ultrasonic motor

The authors present a design method for a hybrid transducer-type ultrasonic motor (HTUSM) for practical use. They introduce a simple equivalent circuit that expresses the unique operation mechanism of the hybrid transducer-type motor. A numerical simulation based on the model enables them to predict the motor characteristics such as the maximum torque and the no-load revolution speed. In addition, for the purpose of efficient design and physical interpretation of the phenomena, they discuss analytically the maximum torque of a special case and develop two design charts for the prediction of the no-load speed of the motor.     

一种基于33250A型信号源的数字超声探伤仪水平线性误差测试方法

针对数字式超声探伤仪水平线性误差的准确测试,提出一种方法,即基于33250A型函数信号发生器,利用其函数信号发生器外部触发延时输出的功能模拟超声探伤仪水平线性的距离,可以准确地测试数字式超声探伤仪的水平线性误差。通过实验设计和实验数据验证,结果表明:该方法有效可行,可为超声探伤仪的水平线性误差测试提供参考。     

A triangular finite shell element based on a fully nonlinear shell formulation

This work presents a fully nonlinear six-parameter (3 displacements and 3 rotations) shell model for finite deformations together with a triangular shell finite element for the solution of the resulting static boundary value problem. Our approach defines energetically conjugated generalized cross-sectional stresses and strains, incorporating first-order shear deformations for an inextensible shell director (no thickness change). Finite rotations are treated by the Euler–Rodrigues formula in a very convenient way, and alternative parameterizations are also discussed herein. Condensation of the three-dimensional finite strain constitutive equations is performed by applying a mathematically consistent plane stress condition, which does not destroy the symmetry of the linearized weak form. The results are general and can be easily extended to inelastic shells once a stress integration scheme within a time step is at hand. A special displacement-based triangular shell element with 6 nodes is furthermore introduced. The element has a nonconforming linear rotation field and a compatible quadratic interpolation scheme for the displacements. Locking is not observed as the performance of the element is assessed by several numerical examples, which also illustrate the robustness of our formulation. We believe that the combination of reliable triangular shell elements with powerful mesh generators is an excellent tool for nonlinear finite element analysis.Fellowship funding from FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa), together with the material support and stimulating discussions in IBNM (Institut für Baumechanik und Numerische Mechanik), are gratefully acknowledged in this work.     

Sound field calculations for an ultrasonic linear phased array with a spherical liquid lens

Lenses are often used to provide focusing in the elevation dimension of ultrasonic linear phased-array transducers. The use of a liquid lens in this application adds a variable geometric focusing capability, determined by the radius of curvature of the lens surface and speed of sound in the liquid, to the electronic focusing produced by the linear phased array. An efficient method to calculate the sound field radiated from the linear phased-array transducer through the liquid lens is presented. It treats the lens surface as a secondary source distribution according to Huygens's principle, and employs a modified form of the rectangular radiator method to calculate the field. The appropriate phases for the array elements to focus and steer the beam are calculated by considering the refraction on the lens surface. Comparisons of computer simulations and experimental measurements of the field intensity distribution of a prototype linear array transducer with a liquid lens demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method.     

Sensitivity analysis and optimization of a standing wave ultrasonic linear motor

This paper presents the sensitivity analysis of an ultrasonic linear motor using design of experiments (DOE) and the finite element (FE) optimization of its deformation amplitude. A first ultrasonic linear motor prototype has been built at the laboratory. A deformation amplitude of about 6.6 microm can be obtained by applying a 100 V voltage. The goal is to obtain a bigger deformation amplitude by varying the motor parameters, in particular the vibratory piece dimensions. First of all, a parametrization of the motor structure is carried out. Then, with the aim of reducing the variation ranges of the input parameters--but also to avoid performing a large number of simulations--a preoptimization stage is necessary. Thus, sensitivity analysis is carried out using design of experiments, which is a good way to obtain the influence of the input parameters on the objective function. Factorial designs have been chosen to find out the effects of each input factor but also the effect of their interactions. This method then is compared with Doehlert design technique, which is generally used for optimization approaches. The results show that it is absolutely necessary to take into account the quadratic terms in the model because they represent an important effect. The use of design of experiments revealed to be an interesting way to analyze numerically the ultrasonic motor as a preoptimization stage and already allows one to improve the deformation amplitude but also to reduce the input parameter variation ranges. Different FE optimization methods are then applied, and results show that the deformation amplitude can be increased by a factor higher than 10 compared to the initial design.     

Characteristics estimation of a traveling wave type ultrasonic motor

A method for calculating the load characteristics of a traveling-wave-type ultrasonic motor (TWUM) is proposed. A systematic method using an equivalent circuit is suggested for estimating the performance of the motor, including its electrical and the mechanical parts. In the proposed method, a governing equation for the motor is derived to describe the relation between the applied voltage at an electrical terminal, vibration velocities, and the external forces at mechanical terminals of a vibrator. A method for estimating the forces between the rotor and the vibrator of the motor is presented and used to calculate the load characteristics. The numerically calculated load characteristics are shown to agree well with the measured ones, confirming the validity of the method.     

A quasi-conforming triangular laminated composite shell element based on a refined first-order theory

A quasi-conforming triangular laminated shell element based on a refined first-order shear deformation theory is presented. The Hu-Washizu variational principle, involving strain and displacement fields as variables, with stresses being considered as Lagrange multipliers, is used to develop the laminate composite shell element. Both strains and displacements are discretized in the element, while displacements alone are discretized at the boundary. The inter-element C ¹ continuity is satisfied a posteriori in a weak form. Due to the importance of rotations and shear deformation in the geometrically non-linear analyses of shells, 7 degrees of freedom per node are chosen, viz. three displacements, two first-derivatives in the in-plane directions of the out-of-plane displacement, and two transverse shear strains at each node. To consider the effect of transverse shear deformation on the global behavior of the laminated composite shell, the Reissner-Mindlin first-order theory, with shear correction factors of Chow and Whitney, is adopted. The transverse shear stresses are obtained through the integration of the 3-D equilibrium equations; and the warping induced by transverse shear is considered in the calculation of the in-plane stresses to improve their accuracy. Numerical examples show that the element has good convergence properties and leads to highly accurate stresses.     

PZT系梯度功能压电驱动器的谐响应特性

研究了PZT系梯度功能压电驱动器谐振状态的机电响应特性,通过改变驱动电场和频率,研究其谐振频率和顶端位移的变化特性。结果表明：增加电场,谐振频率减小,谐振点位移增大,并逐渐趋向饱和。在谐振点附近,悬臂梁弯曲位移达到最大值。     

Radiation characteristics of a coaxial waveguide with opposing dielectric filled grooves

The purpose of the present study is to provide a rigorous analysis to the coaxial waveguide with two opposing grooves in the outer and inner cylinders with different depths and filled with different dielectric materials. The representation of the solution to the three-part mixed boundary-value problem in terms of Fourier integrals leads to a couple of simultaneous modified Wiener-Hopf equations that are reduced to infinite systems of linear algebraic equations. These systems are solved numerically and the bandstop filter characteristics of the reflection coefficient are studied in terms of frequency, groove sizes and the parameters of the filling dielectric material.     

Tunable microwave generation based on a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fiber laser using a phase-shifted grating on a triangular cantilever

Frequency tunable microwave signal generation, based on a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser, incorporating a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG) with two π-phase shifts, is demonstrated. In the proposed configuration, the PS-FBG with two ultranarrow transmission bands is embedded in a triangular cantilever to serve as a wavelength spacing tunable filter with a fixed center wavelength by applying various strains on the cantilever. A section of unpumped EDF is employed as a saturable absorber to ensure SLM operation in each of the two lasing lines. By beating the two wavelengths at a photodiode, a tunable microwave signal ranging from 8.835 to 24.360 GHz is successfully achieved.     

The propagation of ultrasonic waves through a bubbly liquid intotissue: a linear analysis

The steady-state response induced by a harmonically driven, ultrasonic wave in a structure comprised of two layers, the first a bubbly liquid, and the second a viscoelastic solid with a rigid boundary, is studied in the linear approximation. This structure is intended to model a cavitating liquid in contact with tissue. The upper surface of the liquid is driven harmonically and models the source. The lower surface of the solid is rigid and models the bone. While cavitation is inherently nonlinear, the propagation process is approximated as linear. The transient response is not calculated. The model of the bubbly liquid is a simple continuum one, supplemented by allowing for a distribution of different equilibrium bubble radii and for the relaxation of the oscillations of each bubble. The model contains three functions, the probability distribution describing the distribution of bubble radii, and two functions modeling the mechanical response of the individual bubble and the tissue, respectively. Numerical examples are worked out by adapting data taken from various published sources to deduce the parameters of these functions. These examples permit an assessment of the overall attenuation of the structure, and of the magnitudes of the pressure and particle velocity in the bubbly liquid and of the traction and the particle displacement in the tissue