Influence of the actuation waveform on the performance of piezoelectric stick-slip actuators

Performance and efficiency of piezo-electric stick-slip actuators are dependent on the waveform of the electrical actuation of the piezo-stack. This paper compares between a conventional saw-tooth actuation with two waveforms that feature softer acceleration in order to minimize the duration of the slip-phase. It is shown that the proposed waveforms increase both maximum mechanical output power (by 43%) and overall efficiency (by 25%) of the examined actuator