Piezoelectric stepper motor with direct coupling mechanism to achieve high efficiency and precise control of motion

The paper describes a piezoelectric motor that combines the merits of piezoelectric materials, such as high power density generated at electromechanical resonance, and a precise control of displacement. In the motor, a standing shear wave is excited at the resonance in the piezoelectric tube, and it produces high-frequency torsional vibrations of the stator. The vibrations are converted into unidirectional rotation of a rotor by using a direct coupling mechanism between the stator and the rotor in which a clutch drives the rotor via locking it. The direct coupling makes it possible to transmit the whole power generated in the piezoelectric tube to the rotor, and thus achieve the high efficiency of the motor. It also allows combining two regimes of operation: continuous rotation and a stepwise motion within a 360/spl deg/ interval with a high resolution of angular displacement.