Piezoelectric Clutch

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

Sensors and Actuators A 141 (2008) 515–522

Design and implementation of a piezoelectric clutch mechanism

using piezoelectric buzzers

Kuo-Tsai Chang ∗ , Hsuang-Chang Chiang, Chun-Wei Lee

Department of Electrical Engineering, National United University, 1, Lien Da, Kungching Li, Miaoli 36003, Taiwan, ROC

Received 20 December 2006; received in revised form 10 July 2007; accepted 3 October 2007

Available online 16 October 2007

Abstract

This paper develops a novel piezoelectric clutch mechanism, including a driving member and a driven member, and investigates the clutching

performance of the clutch mechanism. Each member is based on a thin-disk piezoelectric buzzer as a frictional member under coupling mode and a

mechanical vibrator under non-coupling mode. In doing so, the clutch mechanism and its experimental set-up namely a power transmission system

are first expressed. Then, operating principles such as inverse piezoelectric effect and ultrasonic levitation for separating two facing surfaces of the

members are stated, and a carbon-powder imaging method for observing the vibration mode of the piezoelectric buzzer is introduced. Moreover,

a DC/AC resonant inverter for converting a DC source to a sinusoidal source applied to energize the piezoelectric buzzer is constructed. Finally,

relationships between rotational speeds and electrical conditions as well as the transient response of the rotation speed with the condition of change

are investigated.

© 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Piezoelectric clutch; Piezoelectric buzzer; Vibration mode; Piezoelectric effect

1. Introduction

Conventional clutches, including electromagnetic clutches,

gear clutches, friction clutches, overrunning clutches and centrifugal clutches, are usually applied to start or stop a mechanical

load, and even to control a revolving speed of the mechanical

load in power transmission systems. For the...