Synergetic driving concepts for bundled miniature ultrasonic linear motors

Rotary ultrasonic motors have found broad industrial application in camera lens drives and other systems. Linear ultrasonic motors in contrast have only found limited applications. The main reason for the limited range of application of these very attractive devices seems to be their small force and power range. Attempts to build linear ultrasonic motors for high forces and high power applications have not been truly successful yet. To achieve larger force and higher power, multiple miniaturized motors can be combined. This approach, however, is not as simple as it appears at first glance. The electromechanical behaviour of the individual motors differs slightly due to manufacturing and assembly tolerances. The individual motor characteristics are strongly dependent on the driving parameters (frequency, voltage, temperature, pre-stress, etc.) and the driven load and the collective behaviour of the swarm of motors is not just the linear superposition of the individual drive's forces. Thus, the bundle of motors has to be synchronized and controlled appropriately in order to obtain an optimized drive that is not oversized and costly. We have investigated driving and control strategies of a set of linear ultrasonic motors. Our contribution will be divided into three main parts. In part I ultrasonic linear motors will be introduced. In part II driving strategies for a single motor as well as for a bundle of motors will be presented. These concepts will be verified by simulation results and experimental data. In part III a simplified model for the motor's electromechanical behaviour will be given.