Date: Friday, July 27, 2007
Time: 9:00am
Location: NIA, Room 137

SEMINAR #1:
High Power Piezoelectric Transformers
Prof. Kenji Uchino, Penn State University

Market research revealed that the current target for the Piezoelectric Transformer (PT) is the power supply and adaptor (step-down applications), which will be a part of a handheld device such as cell phones, laptops and cordless devices. This presentation will cover the review of piezoelectric transformers; principles, development history, and most recent studies. Our focus will be put on a multilayered (stacked) piezoelectric transformer (PT) with a power density of 28 W/cm3. In that particular study, sintered PZT disks were electroded in a ring/dot pattern and were utilized as transformers just after a single poling step. This easy-straightforward manufacturing of the transformer made this PT very attractive for commercialization. In order to mass-produce the high-power PTs, we introduced cofired device from the green sheet with Cu internal electrode by developing a modified electrode patterns. Investigations were performed on cofired transformers of 20 mm diameter. Various ratios of input to output area and layer thicknesses were studied and are reported.

SEMINAR #2:
Review: Piezoelectric Actuators - Expansion from
IT/Robotics to Ecological/Energy Applications
Prof. Kenji Uchino, Penn State University

The first mass-production application of the piezoelectric actuators is a dot-matrix printer by NEC, which was motivated by the invention of the co-fired multilayer actuator (MLA) developed by the Penn State University. Camera applications such as shutter with a bimorph by Minolta and auto focus mechanism with an ultrasonic motor by Canon were commercialized successively. In parallel, the piezoelectric actuators were utilized for precise x-y stages in late 80s owing to the demand by semiconductor manufacturers. Automobile applications of the MLA started after getting into 90s; Toyota introduced the MLA to the damper, i.e., electronic modulated suspension. Siemens succeeded to use the MLA even in a considerably severe high temperature condition for the diesel injection valve control.

This paper reviews the developments of piezoelectric actuators and foresees the future of them. The developments are considered from the “need-pull” viewpoint; that is, information technology, robotics, bio- and medical engineering, ecological and energy engineering. In addition to popular office equipment, micro-positioning applications, ultrasonic technologies for cleaning, piezoelectric energy harvesting, and their integration trends with sophisticated drivers are introduced.

 

BIO: Kenji Uchino, one of the pioneers in piezoelectric actuators, is Director of International Center for Actuators and Transducers and Professor of EE at Penn State University. He is also President & CEO of Micromechatronics Inc., State College, PA. After being awarded his Ph. D. degree from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, he became Research Associate in physical electronics department at this university. Then, he joined Sophia University, Japan as an Associate Professor in physics in 1985. He then moved to Penn State in 1991. He was also involved with Space Shuttle Utilizing Committee in NASDA, Japan during 1986-88, and Vice President of NF Electronic Instruments, USA, during 1992-94. He is the Chair of Smart Actuator/Sensor Study Committee sponsored by Japanese MITI. He is also the associate editor for Journal of Advanced Performance Materials, J. Intelligent Materials Systems and Structures and Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. His research interests are in development of solid state actuators for precision positioners, ultrasonic motors, etc. He has authored 550 papers, 54 books and 21 patents in the ceramic actuator area. He is a Fellow of American Ceremic Society from 1997, and also is a recipient of the SPIE Smart Product Implementation Award (2007), ASME Adaptive Structures Prize (2005), Outstanding Research Award from Penn State Engineering Society (1996), Academic Scholarship from Nissan Motors Scientific Foundation (1990), Best Movie Memorial Award at Japan Scientific Movie Festival (1989), and the Best Paper Award from Japanese Society of Oil/Air Pressure Control (1987).