Development and characterization of a rotary motor driven by anisotropic piezoelectric composite laminate

A new actuation principle is introduced in this paper to drive a rotary motor by an anisotropic piezoelectric composite laminate. The driving element is a three layer laminated beam with piezoceramics sandwiched between two anti-symmetric composite laminae. By taking advantage of material anisotropy, torsional motion can be induced from in-plane strain actuation. With this structural coupling, a rotary motor can be implemented. In addition to analytical formulation and conceptual design, a prototype has been fabricated. Actual motion was observed in the laboratory to verify the proposed actuation principle. The prototype was characterized for rotating speed, torque, power output, efficiency and stability. The performance of this new piezoelectric motor is discussed in detail.