Design of Travelling-Wave Rotating Ultrasonic Motor under High Overload Environments: Impact Dynamics Simulation and Experimental Validation

Abstract

Nowadays, piezoelectric actuators are widely used, but are rarely applied in high overload environments due to th difficulty implementing them. Traveling wave rotary ultrasonic motors (TRUMs) have the characteristics of variable structure and are insensitive to overload, endowing them with the potential ability of high overload resistance. In this study, four TRUMs with different rotor structures are designed to work under the high-impact acceleration of 10,000 g through modifying the rotors with a designed slotted disc spring. The dynamics model is established, the impact process is simulated, and the results are analyzed successively. The high-impact test, deformation measurement and performance test of the motors are carried out to verify the modification. The results show that performance of the TRUMs with a disc spring declines much less than those without a disc spring after the high-impact test. The TRUM-4 with the modified rotor and disc spring has the best performance, the speed of which decreased only 1.6% at the torque of 0.15 N m, and it is considered to be capable of withstanding the high acceleration of 10,000 g. This work is significance for guiding the ultrasonic motors’ optimization to expand their application in high-overload environments.