Special Issue "Piezoelectric Transducers: Materials, Devices and Applications, Volume II"

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "A:Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2021.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jose Luis Sanchez-Rojas
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Microsystems, Actuators and Sensors Lab, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
Interests: MEMS/NEMS; Piezoelectric microsystems; integrated sensors and transducers; miniaturization of instrumentation for applications in chemistry, food technology, robotics, biotechnology and IoT
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in miniaturization of sensors, actuators, and smart systems are receiving substantial industrial attention, and a wide variety of transducers are commercially available or have high potential to impact emerging markets. Substituting existing products based on bulk materials, in fields such as automotive, environment, food, robotics, medicine, biotechnology, communications, and other technologies, with reduced size, lower cost, and higher performance, is now possible, with potential for manufacturing using advanced silicon integrated circuit technology or alternative additive techniques from the mili- to the nano-scale.

In this Special Issue, which is focused on piezoelectric transducers, a wide range of topics are covered, including the design, fabrication, characterization, packaging, and system integration or final applications of mili/micro/nano-electro-mechanical systems based transducers:

  • Materials research oriented towards piezoelectric transducers and intelligent systems
  • Processes and fabrication technologies for piezoelectric sensors and actuators
  • Modeling, design, and simulation of piezoelectric transducer devices
  • Devices and circuits for the Internet of Things focused on piezoelectric transducer applications
  • Resonant and traveling wave piezoelectric sensors and actuators
  • Chemical and bio-transducers based on piezoelectric devices
  • Calibration, characterization, and testing techniques
  • Reliability and failure analysis
  • System integration, interface electronics, and power consumption
  • Applications and markets, and control and measurement systems

Prof. Dr. Jose Luis Sanchez-Rojas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Piezoelectric devices
  • Sensors
  • Actuators
  • MEMS
  • NEMS
  • Smart systems
  • Microsystems
  • Miniaturization
  • Polymers
  • Additive manufacturing

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

Article
Development of a Rotary Ultrasonic Motor with Double-Sided Staggered Teeth
Micromachines 2021, 12(7), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12070824 - 14 Jul 2021
Viewed by 499
Abstract
Based on the conventional structure of traveling wave ultrasonic motor, a rotary ultrasonic motor with double-sided staggered teeth was proposed. Both sides of the stator could be used to actuate the rotors to rotate and output torque. Moreover, the staggered teeth in the [...] Read more.
Based on the conventional structure of traveling wave ultrasonic motor, a rotary ultrasonic motor with double-sided staggered teeth was proposed. Both sides of the stator could be used to actuate the rotors to rotate and output torque. Moreover, the staggered teeth in the stator could be dedicated to accommodating the piezoelectric ceramic chips. Under the excitation of two alternating voltages with a 90° phase difference, a traveling wave could be generated in the ring-like stator. Then, a rotary motion could be realized by means of the friction between the rotors and the driving teeth of the stator. The finite element method was adopted to analyze the motion trajectories of the driving tips. Moreover, the experimental results showed that the load-free maximum speed and maximum output torque of the prototype were 99 rpm and 0.19 N·m at a voltage of 150 Vp with a frequency of 28.25 kHz. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Development of a Novel 2-DOF Rotary–Linear Piezoelectric Actuator Operating under Hybrid Bending–Radial Vibration Mode
Micromachines 2021, 12(6), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12060728 - 21 Jun 2021
Viewed by 411
Abstract
The paper presents a numerical and experimental investigation of a novel two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) piezoelectric actuator that can generate rotary motion of the sphere-shaped rotor as well as induce planar motion of the flat stage. The actuator has a small size [...] Read more.
The paper presents a numerical and experimental investigation of a novel two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) piezoelectric actuator that can generate rotary motion of the sphere-shaped rotor as well as induce planar motion of the flat stage. The actuator has a small size and simple design and can be integrated into a printed circuit board (PCB). The application field of the actuator is small-dimensional and high-precision positioning systems. The piezoelectric actuator comprises three rectangular bimorph plates joined with arcs and arranged by an angle of 120 degrees. A high-stiffness rod is glued on the top surface of each bimorph plate and is used to rotate the rotor or move flat stage employing contact friction force. Three U-shaped structures are used for the actuator clamping. 2-DOF rotational or planar movement is obtained by applying a harmonic or asymmetric electrical signal. The operation principle of the actuator is based on the superposition of the B20 out-of-plane bending mode of the bimorph plates and the B03 radial vibration mode of the ring. Design optimization has been performed to maximize amplitudes of contact point vibration. A prototype of the actuator was made, and a maximum rotation speed of 795.15 RPM was achieved while preload of 546.03 mN was applied. The linear velocity of 36.45 mm/s was obtained at the same preload force. Resolution measurement showed that the actuator can achieve an angular resolution of 17.48 µrad and a linear resolution of 2.75 µm. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Comparative Study of Traveling and Standing Wave-Based Locomotion of Legged Bidirectional Miniature Piezoelectric Robots
Micromachines 2021, 12(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12020171 - 09 Feb 2021
Viewed by 439
Abstract
The use of wave-based locomotion mechanisms is already well established in the field of robotics, using either standing waves (SW) or traveling waves (TW). The motivation of this work was to compare both the SW- and the TW-based motion of a 20-mm long [...] Read more.
The use of wave-based locomotion mechanisms is already well established in the field of robotics, using either standing waves (SW) or traveling waves (TW). The motivation of this work was to compare both the SW- and the TW-based motion of a 20-mm long sub-gram glass plate, with attached 3D printed legs, and piezoelectric patches for the actuation. The fabrication of the robot did not require sophisticated techniques and the speed of motion was measured under different loading conditions. In the case of the TW mechanism, the influence of using different pairs of modes to generate the TW on the locomotion speed has been studied, as well as the effect of the coupling of the TW motion and the first flexural vibration mode of the legs. This analysis resulted in a maximum unloaded speed of 6 bodylengths/s (BL/s) at 65 V peak-to-peak (Vpp). The SW approach also examined different modes of vibration and a speed of locomotion as high as 14 BL/s was achieved, requiring, unlike the TW case, a highly precise location of the legs on the glass supporting platform and a precise tuning of the excitation frequency. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Design and Locomotion Study of Stick-Slip Piezoelectric Actuator Using Two-Stage Flexible Hinge Structure
Micromachines 2021, 12(2), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12020154 - 04 Feb 2021
Viewed by 608
Abstract
A novel piezoelectric actuator using a two-stage flexure hinge structure is proposed in this paper, which is used in a compact and high-precision electromechanical field. The two-stage flexure hinge structure is used to provide horizontal thrust and vertical clamping force to the driving [...] Read more.
A novel piezoelectric actuator using a two-stage flexure hinge structure is proposed in this paper, which is used in a compact and high-precision electromechanical field. The two-stage flexure hinge structure is used to provide horizontal thrust and vertical clamping force to the driving feet, which solves the problems of unstable clamping force and insufficient load capacity in traditional stick-slip piezoelectric actuators. Firstly, the main structure of the driver and the working process under the triangular wave excitation voltage are briefly introduced. Secondly, after many simulation tests, the structure of the actuator is optimized and the stability of the structure in providing clamping force is verified. Finally, through the research of the operating performance, when the amplitude is 150 V and the frequency is 3.25 kHz as the excitation source, the maximum speed can reach 338 mm/s and can bear about 3 kg load. It can be seen from the analysis that the two-stage flexure hinge structure can improve the displacement trajectory. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Modeling and Compensation for Asymmetrical and Dynamic Hysteresis of Piezoelectric Actuators Using a Dynamic Delay Prandtl–Ishlinskii Model
Micromachines 2021, 12(1), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12010092 - 16 Jan 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 818
Abstract
Piezoelectric actuators are widely used in micro- and nano-manufacturing and precision machining due to their superior performance. However, there are complex hysteresis nonlinear phenomena in piezoelectric actuators. In particular, the inherent hysteresis can be affected by the input frequency, and it sometimes exhibits [...] Read more.
Piezoelectric actuators are widely used in micro- and nano-manufacturing and precision machining due to their superior performance. However, there are complex hysteresis nonlinear phenomena in piezoelectric actuators. In particular, the inherent hysteresis can be affected by the input frequency, and it sometimes exhibits asymmetrical characteristic. The existing dynamic hysteresis model is inaccurate in describing hysteresis of piezoelectric actuators at high frequency. In this paper, a Dynamic Delay Prandtl–Ishlinskii (DDPI) model is proposed to describe the asymmetrical and dynamic characteristics of piezoelectric actuators. First, the shape of the Delay Play operator is discussed under two delay coefficients. Then, the accuracy of the DDPI model is verified by experiments. Next, to compensate the asymmetrical and dynamic hysteresis, the compensator is designed based on the Inverse Dynamic Delay Prandtl–Ishlinskii (IDDPI) model. The effectiveness of the inverse compensator was verified by experiments. The results show that the DDPI model can accurately describe the asymmetrical and dynamic hysteresis, and the compensator can effectively suppress the hysteresis of the piezoelectric actuator. This research will be beneficial to extend the application of piezoelectric actuators. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Influence of Piezoelectric Properties on the Ultrasonic Dispersion of TiO2 Nanoparticles in Aqueous Suspension
Micromachines 2021, 12(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12010052 - 05 Jan 2021
Viewed by 612
Abstract
In this study, the soft-type and hard-type lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics were compared in order to create an optimal system for ultrasonic dispersion of nanoparticles, and sound pressure energy for each PZT ceramic was analyzed and closely examined with ultrasonic energy. TiO [...] Read more.
In this study, the soft-type and hard-type lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics were compared in order to create an optimal system for ultrasonic dispersion of nanoparticles, and sound pressure energy for each PZT ceramic was analyzed and closely examined with ultrasonic energy. TiO2 was water-dispersed using the soft-type and hard-type PZT transducer, possessing different characteristics, and its suspension particle size and distribution, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and dispersion were evaluated for 180 days. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the particles dispersed using the hard-type PZT transducer were smaller than the particles dispersed using the soft-type PZT by 15 nm or more. Because the hard-type PZT transducer had a lower PDI, uniform particle size distribution was also confirmed. In addition, by measuring the zeta potential over time, it was found that the hard-type PZT transducer has higher dispersion safety. In addition, it was confirmed that the ultrasonically dispersed TiO2 suspension using a hard-type PZT transducer maintained constant particle size distribution for 180 days, whereas the suspension from the soft-type PZT aggregated 30 days later. Therefore, the hard-type PZT is more suitable for ultrasonic dispersion of nanoparticles. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

Review
Large-Scale Piezoelectric-Based Systems for More Electric Aircraft Applications
Micromachines 2021, 12(2), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12020140 - 28 Jan 2021
Viewed by 890
Abstract
A new approach in the development of aircraft and aerospace industry is geared toward increasing use of electric systems. An electromechanical (EM) piezoelectric-based system is one of the potential technologies that can produce a compactable system with a fast response and a high [...] Read more.
A new approach in the development of aircraft and aerospace industry is geared toward increasing use of electric systems. An electromechanical (EM) piezoelectric-based system is one of the potential technologies that can produce a compactable system with a fast response and a high power density. However, piezoelectric materials generate a small strain, of around 0.1–0.2% of the original actuator length, limiting their potential in large-scale applications. This paper reviews the potential amplification mechanisms for piezoelectric-based systems targeting aerospace applications. The concepts, structural designs, and operation conditions of each method are summarized and compared. This review aims to provide a good understanding of piezoelectric-based systems toward selecting suitable designs for potential aerospace applications and an outlook for novel designs in the near future. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop