Materials Science Forum, Vol.514-516, 221-224, 2006
Development of an ultrasonic motor based on a piezoelectric ceramic sandwiched between two laminate composite plates
Ultrasonic motors are of great interest since their operation is not affected by a magnetic field. On this work the development of a prototype of a smart ultrasonic motor and its characteristics will be presented. The stator of the motor is formed by a cantilever made of PZT ceramic plate sandwiched between two unidirectional CFRP composite sheets. The composite sheets are oriented to 45 degrees and -45 degrees in the longitudinal direction. By application of a sinusoidal electric field to the piezoelectric ceramic plate, it vibrates. The anisotropy of the CFRP composite sheets induces an expansion/torsion movement. This effect is transformed into rotation by friction. The study of adequate voltages and frequencies of the applied electric field allows the optimization of the rotating motor performance.