Fundamental Study on Contact Behavior of Ultrasonic Motor

Abstract

We discuss the contact behavior between the stator and the lining material that sticks to the rotor of an ultrasonic motor. The ultrasonic motor is powered by the vibration of the stator and operates with a frictional force between the stator and the lining material. Therefore, it is important to examine the mechanism of the contact behavior to improve the energy efficiency and durability of the ultrasonic motor. We propose a numerical technique using the finite element method to examine the contact behavior between the stator and the lining material. Then, we compare the numerical example with the theoretical solution proposed by L. A. Galin and confirm the validity of our technique. Moreover, on the basis of incremental theory, we use our technique to numerically examine the complex contact behavior of the non-contact zone, slip zone and stick zone in a non-rotating rotor.