A novel thin single-phase drive linear ultrasonic motor

A novel thin single-phase drive linear ultrasonic motor is proposed and tested in this paper. The proposed motor exhibits bidirectional driving via switching between the right-driving vibration mode (RD mode) and the left-driving vibration mode (LD mode). The structure and working principle of the motor are analyzed. Next, the finite element model of the motor is established and the dynamic performance is analyzed. A prototype motor is then fabricated, and its vibration characteristics are established via impedance testing. Finally, an experimental platform is built and the mechanical characteristics of the motor are experimentally investigated. The maximum no-load speed of the motor is similar to 159.7 mm/s. With 8 N preload and 200 V voltage, the maximum thrust force of the motor in the RD and LD modes are similar to 2.5 and 2.1 N, respectively. The motor possesses the advantages of being light in weight and thin structure and exhibiting an excellent performance. This work presents a new concept for the construction of ultrasonic actuators with bidirectional driving capacity.