An Input-Current Shaping and Soft-Switching Drive Circuit Applied to a Piezoelectric Ceramic Actuator

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Power Electronics

Background:

• Piezoelectric ceramic actuators are crucial for high-frequency vibration energy generation in ultrasonic circuits.
• Existing drive circuits often face challenges with efficiency and power quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel drive circuit for piezoelectric ceramic actuators.
• To incorporate input-current shaping (ICS) and soft-switching features.
• To enhance the performance and efficiency of piezoelectric actuator systems.

Main Methods:

• A new drive circuit was designed, integrating a front AC-DC bridge rectifier and a rear DC-AC converter.
• The rear converter combines a stacked boost converter operating in boundary-conduction mode (BCM) for ICS.
• A half-bridge resonant inverter with an inductive load was implemented to achieve zero-voltage switching (ZVS).

Main Results:

• A prototype drive circuit was successfully implemented and tested.
• The circuit demonstrated a high power factor (PF > 0.97).
• Low input current total harmonic distortion (THD < 16%) and achieved ZVS characteristics were confirmed.

Conclusions:

• The proposed drive circuit effectively drives piezoelectric ceramic actuators with improved power quality.
• The integration of ICS and ZVS features enhances the overall performance and efficiency.
• This novel design offers a robust solution for ultrasonic energy conversion applications.