Rotor optimization for the improvement of ultrasonic motor performance

The rotor deformation of an ultrasonic motor is an important factor affecting its performance. However, little research focuses on the relationship between the rotor deformation and motor performance. This paper provides an approach to improve the ultrasonic motor's output properties by changing the rotor's size from the view of proper rotor deformation and better stress distribution on the interface. First, a thin shell structure is introduced to study the deformation of the rotor. A finite element model of the motor is built in COMSOL Multiphysics software for the contact analysis of the stress distribution. Then, the optimized ranges of parameters are determined by simulation. Frictional experiments are conducted to verify the feasibility of the rotor under the optimized size. Finally, the performance experiments of a stator corresponding to different sizes of rotor are carried out. The experimental results show that the speed, the power and the efficiency of the optimized rotor are all increase. These results prove the effectivity of the new approach to improving the performance of the ultrasonic motor.