Linear Ultrasonic Motor Research Articles

A Symmetric-Actuating Linear Piezoceramic Ultrasonic Motor Capable of Producing a Scissoring Effect.

Conventionally, to produce a linear motion, one motor's stator is employed to drive one runner moving forward or backward. So far, there is almost no report of one electromechanical motor or piezoelectric ultrasonic motor that can directly generate two symmetrical linear motions, while this function is desired for precise scissoring and grasping in the minimally invasive surgery field. Herein, we report a brand-new symmetric-actuating linear piezoceramic ultrasonic motor capable of generating symmetrical linear motions of two outputs directly without additional mechanical transmission mechanisms. The key component of the motor is an (2 × 3) arrayed piezoceramic bar stator operating in the coupled resonant mode of the first longitudinal (L1) and third bending (B3) modes, leading to symmetric elliptical vibration trajectories at its two ends. A pair of microsurgical scissors is used as the end-effector, demonstrating a very promising future for high-precision microsurgical operations. The sliders of the prototype show the following features: (a) symmetrical, fast relative moving velocity (~1 m/s) outward or inward simultaneously; (b) high step resolution (40 nm); and (c) high power density (405.4 mW/cm3) and high efficiency (22.1%) that are double those of typical piezoceramic ultrasonic motors, indicating the full capacity of symmetric-actuating linear piezoceramic ultrasonic motor working in symmetric operation principle. This work also has enlightening significance for future symmetric-actuating device designs.

Hollow cylindrical linear stator vibrator using a traveling wave of longitudinal axisymmetric vibration mode

Ultrasonic motors (USMs) are expected to be used in special environments: high magnetic field environments and space environments, which require lightweight and multiple degrees of freedom. However, when used as linear ultrasonic motors (LUSMs), a linear guide and a preload mechanism are required, complicating the structure. In the present paper, a hollow cylindrical linear stator without an extra linear guide has been considered. The stator consists of a metal pipe and two piezoelectric (PZT) tubes installed at both ends of the metal pipe. Their connected parts are tapered for the first longitudinal axisymmetric vibration mode of the cylinder, namely L(0,1) mode excitation, and the metal pipe is subjected to radial strain. The vibration of the stator is assumed to be one-dimensional and is modeled by an electromechanical equivalent circuit. The principle that the traveling wave is formed on the metal pipe by dual-PZT-tube phase difference excitation was clarified. Finite element analysis and some measurements were conducted to confirm that the theory was consistent. The analyses and measurements were in good agreement. Therefore, the operating principle was confirmed. The results of the transport experiment showed that the average speed of the 8.5-g slider was 7.9 mm/s.

Tiny Piezoelectric Multi-Layered Actuators with Application in a Compact Camera Module-Design, Fabrication, Assembling and Testing Issues.

Piezoelectric actuators with multi-layer structures have largely gained attention from academic and industry experts. This is due to its distinctive advantages of fast response time, huge generative force and the inherent good planar electromechanical coupling factor, as well as other mechanical qualities. Typically, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is one of the most represented piezoelectric ceramic materials that have been used for multi-layer piezoelectric actuators. Piezoelectric multi-layered actuators (PMLAs) were developed vigorously in the past decades due to the emergence of portable devices, such as smartphones with a highly compact camera module (CCM) and an image stabilizer (IS). This study reviewed the progress made in the field of PMLA applications, with a particular focus on the miniaturized dimensions and associated generated output force, speed and maximum output power requirement for various loads. Several commercial attempts, such as Helimorph, Lobster and the two-degrees-of-freedom ultrasonic motor (USM), were investigated. The proposed simple bimorph and multi-layer bimorph USMs experimentally showed thrust as high as 3.08 N and 2.57 N with good free speed and structural thicknesses of 0.7 and 0.6 mm, respectively. When compared with the other 14 reported linear USMs, they ranked as the top 1 and 2 in terms of the thrust-to-volume ratio. The proposed design shows great potential for cellphone camera module application, especially in moving sensor image stabilization. This study also provided outlooks for future developments for piezoelectric materials, configurations, fabrication and applications.

Low-voltage driving linear piezoelectric motors having textured sliders of surface multi-connected vesicle-like microarray

Friction behavior and serious wear of the stator/slider pair are critical to restrict the development and commercialization of standing-wave linear ultrasonic motors. Owing to the effective friction regulation of laser surface microtextures, a multi-connected vesicle-like microarray consisting of the micropits and microgrooves was prepared on the slider surface. Finite element analysis at the microscale showed the proposed micro-textures were prone to cause the stator tip to sink, resulting in an increase of horizontal impact effect of ultrasonic vibration and the alternately regulating of static-dynamic friction boundary, which enhances the tangential force and improves the driving effect. The experimental results approved that the composite microtextures combining the pits of 100 μm and the grooves of 50 μm are positive for friction drive and output performance enhancement. Specifically, the output power of the low-voltage driving linear piezoelectric motor with the complex texturing array is 66% higher than that of non-textured ones. This study provides a reliable approach to enhancing the friction-driving performance and operation stability of piezoelectric motors or actuators.

A Multi-Point Contact Model Considering Rough Surface for Linear Ultrasonic Motors: Validation and Simulation.

The performance and wear life of linear ultrasonic motors are directly determined by the stator-mover frictional contact behaviors. A complete contact model is important to clearly understand the stator-mover contact mechanism and accurately estimate the motor performance. In this paper, a multi-point frictional contact model considering the roughness of contact interfaces is presented based on a finite model of the stator and an analytical model of the mover. The static/dynamic contact behaviors and output performance of the motor can be simulated efficiently. A quantitative measuring methodology for the dynamic contact forces between the stator and mover is developed. The effectiveness of the contact model for simulating the stator-mover contact forces is first evaluated by experiment. Based on the developed model, several dynamic characteristics of a linear ultrasonic motor are discussed: (a) the static force transferred between contact interfaces under pre-pressure; (b) the transient forces and energy exchange between contact interfaces; (c) the steady-state output performance of motor under different electric excitation parameters; (d) the effects of micro-topography parameters on the output performance of the motor and the force transmission of the contact interface.

Thermal Network Modeling and Thermal Stress Evaluation for a High-Power Linear Ultrasonic Motor

This article presents a high-efficient thermal analysis methodology and outlines a set of useful design guidelines for high-power linear ultrasonic motors. A thermal network modeling technique is introduced to rapidly calculate the temperature rise for a typical high-power linear ultrasonic motor with a V-shaped stator. First, a six-terminal equivalent circuit for Langevin piezoelectric transducer considering the prestress bolt loss and all three losses in piezoelectrics is proposed to calculate the stator loss. Then, the calculated losses along with the friction loss are used as inputs into the developed thermal network model to calculate the temperature rise of critical parts of the motor. Furthermore, an analytical mechanical model combined with the proposed thermal network is established to calculate the temporal–spatial distribution of the stator thermal stress for evaluating its fatigue under the heating-up process. Finally, some experimental measurements and finite-element simulations are conducted to validate the theoretical analyses.

A Linear Ultrasonic Motor Based on Coupling Vibration Mode

A coupled linear ultrasonic motor (LUSM) based on an eccentric constraint was proposed. Two pieces of oblique piezoelectric ceramics were arranged at each end of the elastomer, and the polarization direction of the ceramics was vertically upward. Using the tilting characteristics of the piezoelectric ceramics, the two ends of the fixed piezoelectric ceramics formed an eccentric restraint on the motor, providing conditions for the motor to generate coupled modes. When the elastomer of the motor generated the coupling vibration, the motion trajectories of the driving feet ends were oblique straight lines, and the oblique straight-line motion trajectories of the upper and lower driving feet ends were in opposite directions, driving the upper and lower sliders to run simultaneously. The stator parameters were optimized by using ANSYS to obtain larger amplitudes for the ends of the driving feet in both X and Z directions. The structure and operation principle of the motor are explained in detail. A prototype was fabricated to study the arrangement scheme with fixed constraints at the ends of the motor. The frequency-velocity characteristics, voltage-velocity characteristics, and mechanical characteristics of the motor were tested. The no-load speed and maximum output power were measured to be 45.9 mm/s and 3.24 mW.

A generalized electromechanical coupled model of standing-wave linear ultrasonic motors and its nonlinear version

For the systematization of research on standing-wave linear ultrasonic motors (SWLUMs), this work develops a generalized electromechanical coupled model for characterizing SWLUMs. The proposed model focuses on dealing with modeling the generalized two-stage energy conversion in SWLUMs. The first-stage energy conversion is modeled by a four-terminal equivalent circuit model, which with a phase shifter and a couple of electromechanical transformers based on the electromechanical analogy method. The second-stage energy conversion is modeled by a physics-based, friction-driven system, involving contact nonlinearities between the stator and the mover. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this model and its further extension considering nonlinear vibrations of piezoelectric transducer (stator) are exemplified and discussed by a classical SWLUM with V-configuration stator, thereby indicating that the presented generalized model is valuable and pragmatic in simulating and characterizing SWLUMs both in electrical and mechanical domains.

Transient measurement of mechatronic multi-parameters and kinetics performances for linear piezoelectric motors

Due to the time-dependent correlations, the measurement and characterization of electronic and mechanical parameters are critical for linear piezoelectric ultrasonic motors (USMs) during the running process. This study constructed a homemade system to measure the electromechanical multi-parameters and kinetics performances agilely, transiently, and synchronously. The principles and structures of the test system were demonstrated based on virtual instrument technology. A signal conditioning circuit is designed and used for physical signal processing, A/D conversion, and transmission. The difference in resonant frequencies was discovered for the synchronization acquisition of mechatronic parameters, and the instantaneous characteristics of electromechanical parameters for SWUM (e.g., driving voltage, input current, thrust force, and speed during the start-up and power-off process) were established based on the experimental data. This study is significant for the measurement/evaluation of the dynamic and transient performances of linear piezoelectric motors and actuators.

Analysis and Optimization of a Microgripper Driven by Linear Ultrasonic Motors.

This paper presents the vibration response analysis and optimal structural design of a microgripper driven by linear ultrasonic motors (LUMs) dedicated to improving end-point positioning accuracy. Based on structural vibration theory, a parametric vibration response model of the microgripper finger was established, and the relative sensitivities of the structural and material parameters that affect the vibration amplitude of the fingertip were calculated within the structural and material constraints. Then, according to the sensitivity calculation results, a multidimensional constrained nonlinear optimization model was constructed to suppress the vibration of the end-effector. The improved internal penalty function method combined with Newton iteration was adopted to obtain the optimal structural parameters. Finally, the vibration experimental results show that the vibration amplitude of the initial microgripper fingertip is 16.31 μm, and the value measured after optimization was 2.49 μm, exhibiting a reduction of 84.7%. Therefore, the proposed optimal design method can effectively restrain the vibration of the microgripper end-effector and improve manipulation stability.

Dahl Friction Model for Driving Characteristics of V-Shape Linear Ultrasonic Motors.

The contact process of stator and slider described by the Coulomb friction model is basically in a pure sliding friction state, and a mechanical model based on the Dahl friction theory was proposed to describe the contact process between stator and slider of V-shape linear ultrasonic motor. With consideration for the tangential compliance of stator and slider, the dynamic contact and friction processes of stator and slider were addressed in stages. The simulation results show that the ratio of the friction positive work decreases with the increase of the preload, and the vibration amplitude of the stator increases the proportion of positive work of the friction force. Improving the contact stiffness of the stator and slider is conducive to improving the output performance of the ultrasonic motor. The asymmetry of the left and right performance of the V-shaped vibrator will cause a difference in the left and right running speeds of the ultrasonic motor. The improved Dahl friction-driving model makes up for the discontinuity of tangential contact force calculated by the Coulomb friction model. This study demonstrates that the friction-driving model based on the Dahl theory is reliable and reasonable for linear ultrasonic motors according to the experimental results.

Wear evaluation model of a linear piezoelectric ultrasonic motor considering temperature effect

Ultrasonic motor relies on interface friction to drive the slider movement. During continuous operation, the contact surfaces between the stator and slider are worn, which will affect the performance and service life of the motor. A novel wear evaluation model considering temperature effect is established to estimate the remaining life and performance for a linear piezoelectric ultrasonic motor. The interactions of temperature with resonance frequency and material parameters are considered. The relationship between wear volume and preload as well as the variations of surface roughness parameters are taken into account. An experimental platform is built to identify the critical parameters and verify the accuracy of this model. The results show that the developed model can not only predict the temperature and service life, but also evaluate the performance of the motor, which can provide valuable guidance for motor design and optimization.

A Two-DOF Linear Ultrasonic Motor With High Thrust Force Density and High Power Density Utilizing Torsional/Centrosymmetric-Bending/ Symmetric-Bending Modes

In this article, a new two-DOF linear ultrasonic motor operating in three vibration modes is developed and its capability to exhibit high thrust force density and high power density is tested. Here, the driving force is produced by synchronously exciting the torsional (T) and centrosymmetric-bending (B <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> ) modes, whereas the normal force is generated with the symmetric-bending (B <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">s</sub> ) mode. Initially, the T-B <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> /B <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">s</sub> hybrid transducer in cross shape is designed through modal degeneration and the working principle is verified by simulation. Subsequently, a 50-mm-high 130-mm-long transducer prototype is fabricated to make the slider movable along two horizontal axes ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">x</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">y</i> ). Finally, the performance is assessed via experiments. When the voltage is 250 V and the working frequency is ∼21.6 kHz, the motor yielded the maximal thrust force, no-load sliding speed, and maximal output power of, respectively, 84.3 N, 1562 mm/s, and 33.2 W in the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">x</i> -axis; and 86.2 N, 1531 mm/s, and 34.1 W in the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">y</i> -axis. Moreover, the thrust force density and power density reached, respectively, 78.4 N/kg and 31.0 W/kg, exceeding the values of most conventional two-DOF linear ones. This article validates the T-B <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> /B <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">s</sub> motor's high actuating capability and also provides a new approach to design powerful two-DOF linear motors.

Design and Dynamic Simulation of a Novel Traveling Wave Linear Ultrasonic Motor

To overcome the problem of frequency consistency and simplify the design process of linear ultrasonic motor, a novel traveling wave linear ultrasonic motor with a ring-type stator is proposed in this paper. The combination of two orthogonal bending vibration modes with the same order is selected as the operating mode of the motor. A traveling wave along the side of the stator is utilized to drive the slider to move linearly. The stator adopts a ring symmetrical structure, which can effectively ensure that the resonance frequencies of the two vibration modes are consistent. Thus, we do not need to tune the frequencies of the two vibrations by constantly adjusting the shape of the stator or designing complex clamping parts to fix the stator without making any influence on the vibrations. Meanwhile, a three-dimensional finite element model of the motor is built. Using the model, we obtain the elliptical motion trajectories of the stator driving surface, the output performance of the motor, the sticking-slipping-separation contact characteristic between the stator and the slider and fabricate and measure a prototype of the proposed motor.

An Ultrasonic Motor Using a Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced/Poly-Phenylene-Sulfide-Based Vibrator with Bending/Longitudinal Modes.

In this study, a linear ultrasonic motor (USM) with carbon-fiber-reinforced/poly-phenylene-sulfide (PPS/CF) was developed and the feasibility of using PPS/CF to achieve a lightweight USM was tested. Here, anisotropic Young’s moduli of PPS/CF possibly enhance the driving force when the slider’s moving direction is orthogonal to the carbon-fibers’ filling direction. Further, PPS/CF’s low density may help avoid excessive enhancement in weight. Initially, we measured anisotropic Young’s moduli of PPS/CF, and determined the vibration modes, configuration, and dimensions of the PPS/CF vibrating body through finite element analysis. Subsequently, we fabricated a 45.7-mm-long 30-mm-diameter vibrator to form a linear motor. Finally, we evaluated the load characteristics of the PPS/CF-based motor and made comparisons with isotropic-material-based USMs. At 30.2 kHz frequency, the PPS/CF-based vibrator worked in the 2nd bending and 2nd longitudinal modes as predicted. The PPS/CF-based motor yielded the maximal thrust, no-load speed, and maximal output power of 392 mN, 1103 mm/s, and 62 mW, respectively. Moreover, the thrust force density and power density reached 20.3 N/kg and 3.2 W/kg, respectively, which were relatively high compared to those of the PPS- and aluminum-based USMs with the same vibration modes and similar structures. This preliminary study implies PPS/CF’s feasibility for achieving lightweight USMs, and provides a candidate material for designing micro/meso USMs.

Dynamic modeling and analysis of bundled linear ultrasonic motors with non-ideal driving

To achieve larger thrust and higher power in applications, multiple linear ultrasonic motors are usually combined. However, in previous researches, the motion mechanism of bundled linear ultrasonic motors is not explained clearly. Most researchers focus upon the description of experiments and the interpretation of experimental results, therefore until now, the dynamic model of the bundled linear ultrasonic motors has not been well established. In order to obtain deeper physical insight into the motion principle and provide a theoretical basis for better control of the bundled linear ultrasonic motors, a dynamic model for bundled linear ultrasonic motors is established in this paper. In this model, the contact interface is simplified to be a single point contact model and the impact of the clamping part on the performance of motor is considered. Using this model, the output characteristics of the bundled linear ultrasonic motors are investigated by discussing the influence of some important factors including preload, exciting voltage and exciting frequency. Test results show the proposed dynamic model is able to predict the output performance of the bundled motors. Moreover, the proposed model is not only suitable for the researched motor, but also can be extended to other bundled linear ultrasonic motors.

A novel hybrid mode linear ultrasonic motor with double driving feet.

A novel standing wave linear ultrasonic motor with double driving feet based on longitudinal-bending coupling mode is designed in this study. The motor adopts the bonded-type structure, and four pieces of piezoelectric ceramics on a metal beam are divided into two groups. Two voltages with 90° phase difference are applied to two groups of Pb-based lanthanumdoped zirconate titanates ceramics, respectively. Then the first longitudinal and second bending modes generated are superimposed on the stator, which can produce elliptical motion trajectories on the driving feet. The excitation method and driving mechanism of the motor are illustrated in detail. A finite model of the stator is established in the ANSYS parametric design language interface, and the operating mode of the stator and motion trajectories on the driving feet are discussed. The prototype is fabricated, and its impedance characteristics and mechanical output performance are tested. The results show that the maximal no-load velocity of the motor is ∼147.78 mm/s under a voltage of 200V and a preload of 3 N. The maximum thrust force is ∼1.1 N when the voltage and preload are 200V and 6 N, respectively.

Measurement and evaluation on mechanical performances of standing-wave piezoelectric motor of V-shaped sandwich-type transducer having arc tip

A prototype of the linear standing-wave ultrasonic motors having arc tip is designed and manufactured, and the output performances and mechanical characteristics were tested and evaluated using a home-made measured simple system in this study. Results show that the flexible design of the driving foot is interesting for the performance improvement and simplification design of standing-wave ultrasonic motors. The measured system is simple and is available to evaluate the output performances (thrust and speed) and mechanical characteristics curves of linear motors. The influence trend of preload and driving voltage on output speed is opposite, while the influence trend of thrust is parabola. The peak value of applied voltage is critical for the mechanical characteristic curve of piezoelectric motor. This study also supports a basic measurement approach for service performances of linear ultrasonic motors and the tribological behaviors of motor and/or actuator devices using piezoelectric vibration.

A Longitudinal-Bending Hybrid Linear Ultrasonic Motor and Its Driving Characteristic

As a new type of driver, linear ultrasonic motor (LUSM) is widely used in the high-tech field because of its low speed, high thrust, low noise, and no electromagnetic interference. However, as an actuator used in microdevices, most of the existing LUSMs are large in size and not compact in structure. In order to overcome these limitations, a new structure of linear ultrasonic motor’s stator is developed in this paper. The stator is similar to a tuning fork structure, which is divided into three parts: two driving feet, two driving legs, and the driving body. By using the first-order longitudinal vibration mode of the whole stator and the unique partial second-order bending vibration mode of the driving legs to achieve vibration mode degeneracy, a mode hybrid linear ultrasonic motor that is easy to miniaturize is proposed. Its working principle is analyzed. The dynamic analysis of the stator is carried out by using finite element software. The structure dimension of the stator and the driving frequency under the working mode are determined. At the same time, the feasibility of driving feet synthesizing elliptical motion is verified theoretically and experimentally. In addition, the LUSM test setup is built. The effects of driving frequency and Vpp on stator stall force and average velocity are studied. The results show that the maximum stall force can reach 99 mN, and the average velocity of the motor is 88.67 mm/s with Vpp = 320 V and driving frequency 80.2 kHz. The proposed LUSM is appropriate for use in occasions with quick return characteristics, like the controlling valve or nozzle of the printer. The research results provide guidance for the stator design of the linear ultrasonic motor.

予圧機構を備えたマイクロリニア超音波モータの設計

予圧機構を備えたマイクロリニア超音波モータの設計