9807383 Ro In this SGER project, a feasibility of the use of traveling waves as a mechanism for industrial material handling is to be examined. To realize an industrial quality material handler using traveling waves, two major issues need to be addressed. First, the ratio of the mechanical work to power input needs to be significantly improved from those reported of the currently existing ultrasonic motors, which range from 2 to 20 percent. The low ratio is attributed to large power consumption associated with absorbing reflective waves to minimize standing waves and the lack of advanced triggering mechanisms to generating traveling waves with minimal power. Secondly, because of the design modularity necessary to arbitrarily adjust the length of the transfer line in a typical factory setting, a consistent carry-over of traveling waves from one module to the next is an essential requirement. The objective of the project is to design a prototype miniature material handler that consists of two identical modules equipped with wave carry-over capability with a significant improvement in power efficiency. To achieve this, the following tasks are planned: 1) The combination of active absorption of reflecting waves in one module with generation of traveling waves in the next module will be examined using Piezoelectric actuators; 2) An increase in friction, thus mechanical work done, through active and passive means will be explored; 3) Non-sinusoidal triggering mechanisms for generating traveling waves with minimal power will be investigated. If successful, the proposed new material transfer mechanism can eliminate rollers and conveyors that generate unnecessary noise and dust and provide improvement in modularity and flexibility. The impact can be immediate in cleanroom and medical/pharmaceutical industries.
