Design and modelling of a novel single-phase-driven piezoelectric actuator

Abstract

Sandwich single-phase-driven piezoelectric actuators have attracted increasing interest owing to their simple control circuits, flexible designs, and high output forces. However, there are challenges in constructing a standing-wave driving mode for sandwich single-phase-driven rotary piezoelectric actuators and in achieving bidirectional driving as well as an integrated structural and functional design, which limit their applications. To address these issues and meet the demands of the joint drive, a novel sandwich single-phase-driven rotary piezoelectric actuator is proposed in this study. The actuator stator has a beam-ring configuration, with dual rotors effectively integrated with a preload adjustment mechanism to solve the contact-warping problem of the cantilever joint and achieve an integrated structural and functional design of the joint drive. The standing-wave rotation drive and steering functions are realized through the special design of modes and unique arrangement of the upper and lower driving teeth. To reveal the dynamic characteristics of the stator, a universal electromechanical coupling dynamic model for the torsional-bending composite vibration of sandwich piezoelectric actuators was developed for the first time using the transfer matrix method, and the correctness of the dynamic model was verified using a prototype of the proposed stator. Finally, the structural design feasibility of the proposed piezoelectric actuator was verified through performance evaluation experiments on the actuator prototype. The proposed sandwich single-phase-driven rotary piezoelectric actuator lays the technical and theoretical foundations for achieving simple, fast, efficient, and precise driving and control of robotic joints.