A 1.6-mm,metal tube ultrasonic motor

A miniaturized metal tube ultrasonic motor, the dimensions of which are 1.6 mm in diameter and 6 mm in length, was developed. Two flattened surfaces with 90 degrees were ground on the outer surface of the stator. Two PZT-based piezoelectric ceramics were bonded onto these flat surfaces. The asymmetrical surface of the stator developed the split of the two degenerated orthogonal bending modes, resulting in a wobble motion. The working frequency of the 1.6-mm motor with 6 mm in length was 130 kHz. A torque of 0.5 mNm was reached at a maximum power of 45 mW with a speed of 45 rad/sec. The maximum efficiency was 16%.     

Coupled tangential-axial resonant modes of piezoelectric hollow cylinders and their application in ultrasonic motors

This paper describes a tangential-axial eigen-mode of a piezoelectric hollow cylinder. A new type of piezoelectric ultrasonic motor using this oscillation mode has been developed. The motor is a traveling-wave-type motor. The stator of such a motor consists of a solid piezoelectric hollow cylinder, which, excited in the tangential-axial resonant mode by a three-phase electrical signal, will exhibit elliptical displacement and transfer rotation to the rotor. The behavior of the stator has been simulated with finite element method (FEM) software. The simulation results have been checked with single-point contact measurements on the surface of the ultrasonic motors. The paper closes with the introduction of new ultrasonic motors based on this oscillation mode.     

Piezoelectric micromotor using a metal-ceramic composite structure

This paper presents a new piezoelectric micromotor design, in which a uniformly electroded piezoelectric ring bonded to a metal ring is used as the stator. Four inward arms at the inner circumference of the metal ring transfer radial displacements into tangential displacements. The rotor ends in a truncated cone shape and touches the tips of the arms. A rotation takes place by exciting coupled modes of the stator element, such as a radial mode and a second bending mode of the arms. The behavior of the free stator was analyzed using the ATILA finite element software. Torque vs. speed relationship was measured from the transient speed change with a motor load. A starting torque of 17 muNm was obtained at 20 Vrms. The main features of this motor are low cost and easy assembly because of a simple structure and small number of components.     

A piezoelectric motor using flexural vibration of a thin piezoelectric membrane

This paper describes a new implementation of a disk-type piezoelectric motor, whose stator is a commercial available piezomembrane composed of a nickel alloy disk to which a piezoceramic disk is bonded. The two disks are concentric, and the total thickness is very small. Ultrasonic motors are based on the concept of driving a rotor by mechanical vibration excited on a stator, via the piezoelectric effect. The rotor is in contact with the stator, and the driving force is the frictional force between rotor and stator. To transform the mechanical vibration of the stator in the rotor rotation, a traveling wave must be excited on the stator surface. The proposed motor can be regarded as a disk-type, single wavelength motor in which the traveling wave is due to the natural flexural vibration of the piezomembrane at low frequency. The behavior of the stator is analyzed both theoretically, by using the theory of isotropic and homogeneous vibrating plates, and by means of a commercial finite element computer code, finding a good agreement with the experimental results. The main features of the motor are very small thickness, appreciable torque, and high speed, obtained with low input power at low voltage; the intended application is to substitute the moving-coil in analogic instrumentation.     

Piezoelectric micromotor based on the structure of serial bending arms

This paper presents a new piezoelectric micromotor based on the structure of serial bending arms. Serial bending arms are composed of two piezoelectric bimorphs with one end fixed and the other end free, driven by two signals of a biased square wave with a phase difference of /spl pi//2. The free end of a cantilever arm will move along an elliptic orbit so that the cantilever is used to drive a cylinder rotor. The rotor's end surface contacts the free end of the cantilever, resulting in the rotor's rotation. There are six serial bending arms anchored on the base. The driving mechanism of the micromotor is proposed and analyzed. A new micromotor prototype, 5 mm in diameter, has been fabricated and characterized. The maximum rotational speed reaches 325 rpm, and the output torque is about 36.5 /spl mu/Nm.     

L-shaped piezoelectric motor--part I: design and experimental analysis

This paper proposes an L-shaped piezoelectric motor consisting of two piezoelectric bimorphs of different lengths arranged perpendicularly to each other. The coupling of the bending vibration mode of the bimorphs results in an elliptical motion at the tip. A detailed finite element model was developed to optimize the dimensions of bimorph to achieve an effective coupling at the resonance frequency of 246 Hz. The motor was characterized by developing rotational and linear stages. The linear stage was tested with different friction contact surfaces and the maximum velocity was measured to be 12 mm/s. The rotational stage was used to obtain additional performance characteristics from the motor: maximum velocity of 120 rad/s, mechanical torque of 4.7 × 10-(5) N·m, and efficiency of 8.55%.     

Development of a novel ultrasonic motor resonator using topology optimization

The use of topology optimization in the design of a novel stator for an ultrasonic motor (USM) is investigated. The design challenge is to produce a stator, with two resonant modes whose frequencies are in a ratio of 1:2. When driven together, these modes result in a contact point trajectory in a figure of eight shape. As a result, only one electronic amplifier is required to drive the proposed device. In contrast traditional travelling wave USM, with elliptical contact point trajectories, require two modes with equal resonant frequencies to be driven 90° out of phase, and therefore require two amplifiers, one for each mode. To achieve a suitable stator design, a slightly unconventional topology optimization problem formulation is proposed, in which the objective function is to minimize the amount of material with intermediate density, while satisfying a constraint related to the frequency ratio of selected resonant modes. The planar design produced using the optimization procedure was refined using a detailed three dimensional finite element analysis. A prototype of the proposed stator design was manufactured and experimentally characterized. Scanning laser vibrometry measurements from two positions were used to measure the figure of-eight motion. Finally, the stator was fitted with a preloaded slider to form a simple linear motor demonstrator which was characterized experimentally. The prototype motor produced a slider speed of 14 mm/s reversibly and a maximum force of 50 mN.     

A single vibration mode tubular piezoelectric ultrasonic motor

A novel tubular ultrasonic motor is presented that uses only a single vibration bending mode of a piezoelectric tube to generate rotation. When the piezoelectric tube bends, the diagonal motion of points on selected areas at the ends of the tube generates forces with tangential components along the same circumferential direction, driving the rotors to rotate. Bi-directional motion is achieved by simply switching the direction of bending. Because only one vibration mode is used, the motor requires only one driving signal and no vibration mode coupling is needed, simplifying the design, fabrication, assembly, and operation of the device. Two prototypes [one with cut-in lead zirconate titanate (PZT) teeth and one with added metal teeth] were built and tested using PZT tubes available to the authors. The tubes have an outside diameter of 6.6 mm, inner diameter of 5.0 mm, and length of 25.4 mm. The working frequencies of the two motors are 27.6 and 23.5 kHz. The motors achieved a maximum no-load speed of 400 rpm and a stall torque of 300 μN·m.     

新型方尖塔形定子二自由度超声电机的结构设计、驱动机理与性能研究

提出了一种新型二自由度超声电机结构及工作原理。该电机具有一个方尖塔形定子和一个具有凹球面的基座,定子由预压力弹簧压在基座的凹球面上。利用定子局部弯曲振动作为工作模态,使得该型电机易于小型化。有限元仿真观察到了定子驱动端的椭圆运动,作用于球面基座可驱动定子运动。原理样机性能为: x 方向最大速度145mm/s, y 方向最大速度180mm/s, x 方向最大推力4.3N,y方向最大推力5.0N。     

Stator design of a new type of spherical piezoelectric motor

The stator design of a new type of spherical motor driven by piezoelectric actuators is developed. A curved piezoelectric actuator is designed to attach to the spherical surface. A series of the curved piezoelectric actuators is laid in a line around a spherical surface. By applying an appropriate voltage signal with phase difference on neighboring actuators, a traveling wave is generated on the hemispherical shell. Each set of curved piezoelectric actuators is designed to provide motion with a single degree-of-freedom (DOF). With two or three sets of the piezoelectric actuators constructed to be mutually perpendicular, the motor can provide 2-DOF or 3-DOF motion. Stator design and analysis and experiment for the 1-, 2-, and 3-DOF conditions are presented in this article. Analytical calculation and experiment results of several fundamental characteristics of the stator are in good agreement. Performance evaluation of rotation speed and torque of the stator and some implementation problems are also addressed.     

Hybrid transducer type ultrasonic motor

A type of ultrasonic motor whose stator is composed of a torsional vibrator and multilayered piezoelectric actuators is proposed and has been fabricated for trial. The stator is operated at the resonance frequency of the torsional vibration. The vibrator generates the mechanical output force and the actuators control the frictional force. The construction provides for arbitrary Lissajous's figures at the contacting surface and contributes to large mechanical output power with high efficiency and bidirectional motion. It also gives greater freedom of design. The prototype motor produced a maximum torque of 7 kg-cm and a maximum efficiency of 33%     

An ultrasonic piezoelectric motor utilizing axial-torsional coupling in a pretwisted non-circular cross-sectioned prismatic beam

A rotary piezoelectric motor design with simple structural components and the potential for miniaturization using a pretwisted beam stator is demonstrated in this paper. The beam acts as a vibration converter to transform axial vibration input from a piezoelectric element into combined axial-torsional vibration. The axial vibration of the stator modulates the torsional friction forces transmitted to the rotor. Prototype stators measuring 6.5 x 6.5 x 67.5 mm were constructed using aluminum (2024-T6) twisted beams with rectangular cross-section and multilayer piezoelectric actuators. The stall torque and noload speed attained for a rectangular beam with an aspect ratio of 1.44 and pretwist helix angle of 17.7 degrees C were 0.17 mNm and 840 rpm with inputs of 184.4 kHz and 149 mW, respectively. Operation in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions was obtained by choosing either 70.37 or 184.4 kHz for the operating frequency. The effects of rotor preload and power input on motor performance were investigated experimentally. The results suggest that motor efficiency is higher at low power input, and that efficiency increases with preload to a maximum beyond which it begins to drop.     

Improvement of the longitudinal vibration system for the hybrid transducer ultrasonic motor

This paper presents a symmetric hybrid transducer ultrasonic motor designed to produce large longitudinal vibration stress in the rotor/stator contact interface for high-torque operation. The nodal plane of the longitudinal vibration mode was adjusted to match the rotor/stator contact interface, and the piezoelectric ceramic disks for the longitudinal vibration were installed at the nodal plane of the longitudinal vibration mode for effective excitation. An experimental motor, 20 mm in diameter, using the first torsional vibration mode and the second longitudinal vibration mode was manufactured. A maximum torque of 0.8 N.m was achieved in the prototype, an improvement over previous versions.     

A novel multi-degree-of-freedom thick-film ultrasonic motor

This paper describes a new multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) ultrasonic motor that comprises few parts and is based on low-cost thick-film technology. Conventional ultrasonic motors using bulk lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or thin-film PZT layers are relatively expensive at the present time. Thick-film printed PZT technology provides the opportunity to reduce the costs of ultrasonic motors. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, an ultrasonic motor was fabricated from alumina using thick-film printed PZT actuators. The thick-film PZT and electrode layers were printed on a thin alumina plate, and a tiny cylinder was mounted at its center. This cylinder magnifies the lateral displacement of the stator, holds the spherical rotor, and transmits the driving force to the sphere. Three bending vibrations, B₂₂, B₃₀, B₀₃, of the plate were applied to rotate the sphere. Sufficient displacements for rotating the sphere were obtained near the resonance of B₂₂ by applying an excitation voltage of 200 V peak-to-peak via a three-phase drive circuit. Rotations in three orthogonal directions have been observed by controlling the phase of the driving signal to the PZT electrodes, and a MDOF ultrasonic motor was successfully realized     

A cylindrical traveling wave ultrasonic motor using a circumferential composite transducer

This paper intends to present and verify a new idea for constructing traveling wave ultrasonic motors that may effectively avoid the drawbacks of conventional traveling wave motors using bonded PZT plates as the exciting elements. In the configuration of the motor's stator, a composite sandwich type transducer is used to excite a traveling wave in a cylinder with two cantilevers as the coupling bridges between the transducer and the cylinder. The design process of the stator is described using the FEM modal analysis method, and the establishment of traveling wave on the cylindrical stator was simulated by FEM transient analysis. To verify the theoretical analysis results, a laser Doppler scanner was employed to test the mode shapes of a prototype stator excited by the longitudinal and bending vibrations respectively. Finally, to validate the design idea, a prototype motor was fabricated and tested; the typical output features are no-load speed of 156 rpm and maximum torque of 0.75 N·m under exciting voltages of 70 V(rms) applied to excite the longitudinal vibration of the transducer and 200 V(rms) applied to excite the bending vibration.     

纵振换能器式圆筒型超声电机振动特性的研究

以纵振夹心换能器式圆筒型超声电机为研究对象,对换能器的振动状态进行了分析,给出了换能器弯曲振动的产生原因;研究了耦生弯振对电机机电耦合系数以及圆筒中弯振行波质量所带来的影响,耦生弯振的存在使得定子模态特征频率偏离换能器谐振频率,并使得定子圆筒中的弯振行波产生了畸变。最后,提出一种采用换能器弯振激励圆筒径向弯振的模态组合方式。     

Design and performance testing of an ultrasonic linear motor with dual piezoelectric actuators

In this work, design and performance testing of an ultrasonic linear motor with dual piezoelectric actuator patches are studied. The motor system consists of a linear stator, a pre-load weight, and two piezoelectric actuator patches. The piezoelectric actuators are bonded with the linear elastic stator at specific locations. The stator generates propagating waves when the piezoelectric actuators are subjected to harmonic excitations. Vibration characteristics of the linear stator are analyzed and compared with finite element and experimental results. The analytical, finite element, and experimental results show agreement. In the experiments, performance of the ultrasonic linear motor is tested. Relationships between velocity and pre-load weight, velocity and applied voltage, driving force and applied voltage, and velocity and driving force are reported. The design of the dual piezoelectric actuators yields a simpler structure with a smaller number of actuators and lower stator stiffness compared with a conventional design of an ultrasonic linear motor with fully laminated piezoelectric actuators.     

双十字压电振子同型弯振模态驱动的平面超声电机

为了丰富平面超声电机的型式,提出一种双十字压电振子同型弯振模态驱动的平面超声电机。利用双十字压电振子的纵杆面内、面外弯振耦合以及横杆面内、面外弯振耦合,分别在两杆的驱动足上合成沿xoz、yoz面行进的两相椭圆轨迹,以交替地推动动子沿x、y向移动。分析了该平面超声电机的驱动机理,并推导出两相椭圆轨迹方程。建立了双十字压电振子机电耦合模型,对其三相工作模态的振型进行仿真分析,并在结构优化的基础上实现了三相工作模态频率一致,使它们分别为43 468,43 552和43 569 Hz。仿真了双十字压电振子的频响特性并实现了干扰模态分离,当驱动电压为250 V时,驱动足x、y、z向振幅分别为1.3,0.8和0.9 μm,满足电机驱动要求。模拟得到定频激励下双十字压电振子驱动足的两相椭圆运动轨迹,验证了所设计平面超声电机驱动机理的有效性。该平面超声电机可输出较大速度与动力,具有广阔的应用前景。     

Piezoelectric stepper motor with direct coupling mechanism to achieve high efficiency and precise control of motion

The paper describes a piezoelectric motor that combines the merits of piezoelectric materials, such as high power density generated at electromechanical resonance, and a precise control of displacement. In the motor, a standing shear wave is excited at the resonance in the piezoelectric tube, and it produces high-frequency torsional vibrations of the stator. The vibrations are converted into unidirectional rotation of a rotor by using a direct coupling mechanism between the stator and the rotor in which a clutch drives the rotor via locking it. The direct coupling makes it possible to transmit the whole power generated in the piezoelectric tube to the rotor, and thus achieve the high efficiency of the motor. It also allows combining two regimes of operation: continuous rotation and a stepwise motion within a 360 degrees interval with a high resolution of angular displacement.     

Bending mode effect on sensitivity of plate surface acoustic wave pressure sensors

The bending mode effect on sensitivity of pressure sensors operating with surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating over the surface of a plate is analyzed using Tiersten's perturbation integral for frequency shifts in a piezoelectric resonator due to the presence of initial fields. For a plate subjected to nonpure bending, the SAW speed, whose shift in response to pressure determines the sensitivity, can be defined locally through the local variations of the effective material constants. Three common bending modes of pure bending, bending under a concentrate load, and bending under a uniformly load are analyzed and compared.