Ultrasonic Actuators

Dynamic Characteristics of Tiny Ultrasonic Linear Actuators

Tiny ultrasonic linear actuators (TULAs) are used in many industrial applications and a full characterization of their dynamic behavior is needed. This paper presents a detailed theoretical-experimental study of TULAs. The general structure and operation principle of TULAs are introduced. The actuator dynamics is then described using a simple piezoelectric model. In practice, TULAs are most oft...

Piezoelectric ultrasonic micro/milli-scale actuators

A growing demand for actuators with a volume of less than 1 mm3 has driven researchers to produce a varied range of micro/milli-scale designs. By examining the underlying physics of the actuator operation we are able to demonstrate why piezoelectric ultrasonic actuators have the greatest potential to meet this need. Moreover, it allows us to create a new classification system for piezoelectric ...

Ultrasonic vibrothermography using low-power actuators: an impact damage detection case study

Magnetostrictive Actuators Compared to Piezoelectric Actuators

Magnetostriction occurs in the most ferromagnetic materials and leads to many effects [1,2]. The most useful one to refer to is the Joule effect. It is responsible for the expansion (positive magnetostriction) or the contraction (negative) of a rod subjected to a longitudinal static magnetic field. In a given material, this magnetostrain is quadratic and occurs always in the same direction what...

Modeling Piezoelectric Actuators

The piezoelectric actuator (PEA) is a well-known device for managing extremely small displacements in the range from 10 pm (1 pm = 10 12 m) to 100 m. When developing a control system for a piezo-actuated positioning mechanism, the actuator dynamics have to be taken into account. An electromechanical piezo model, based on physical principles, is presented in this paper. In this model, a first-or...