Application Cases

Underwater Robotics Technology is one of humanity's primary means for understanding, exploring, and utilizing the ocean.

It finds significant applications in numerous fields including underwater operations, search and rescue, reconnaissance, sonar, communication, and navigation.

In recent years, the miniaturization and swarm technology of underwater robots have become new research hotspots.

Traditional micro-underwater robots utilize electromagnetic motors as propulsion systems.

However, these encounter significant obstacles in deep-water, high-pressure environments, such as challenges with sealing, pressure resistance, and self-rotation (stalling).

Ultrasonic Motors (USMs), after simple circuit insulation treatment, can operate fully exposed to seawater, forming a structure without internal cavities.

This eliminates the need for waterproof sealing and renders them unaffected by water pressure.

Combined with their advantages of compact and simple structure (facilitating miniaturization), high power density and efficiency, fast response and ease of control, and absence of electromagnetic interference (providing strong stealth capabilities), USMs have emerged as a promising new choice for propulsion systems in micro-underwater robots.

Regarding experimental research on USM drives, Aigtek Electronics' ATG-2000 Series Power Signal Generators see relatively widespread application in this field.

The ATG-2000 series can output AC voltages up to 1600 Vpp (peak-to-peak), enabling them to drive the majority of commercially available ultrasonic motors.

Experiment Name: Submersible Vehicle Underwater Motion Characteristics Test.

Experiment Principle:.

An ultrasonic motor works by applying partitioned polarization to piezoelectric ceramic elements.

Alternating voltage excitation signals with the same frequency and amplitude, but with a phase difference of π/2, are applied to adjacent partitions.

Due to the inverse piezoelectric effect of the ceramics, two vibrational modes are excited at the stator's resonant frequency.

These modes have equal amplitude but differ by π/2 in both time and space.

The superposition and coupling of these two modes generate a traveling wave that propagates circumferentially around the stator surface.

This traveling wave then drives the rotor into rotation via frictional force, consequently rotating the output shaft.

Experiment Block Diagram:

Experiment Setup Photo: 

Experiment Procedure:.

Setup: Establish an underwater test platform comprising a water tank, a power signal generator, a high-speed camera, and a submersible vehicle.

Buoyancy: Suspend the submersible vehicle using buoyant foam blocks to counteract gravity and prevent sinking.

Drive Signal: Set the power signal generator to output a constant 50V AC signal to drive the ultrasonic motor.

Frequency Sweep: Sweep the driving frequency from 76 kHz to 79 kHz in 10 Hz increments.

Motion Capture: Use the high-speed camera to record the motion trajectory of the submersible vehicle.

Analysis: Analyze the captured data to determine the optimal operating frequency of the ultrasonic motor.

Key Application Areas:.

Piezoelectric Ceramic Actuation.

Underwater Robot Propulsion.

Pipeline Safety Inspection.

Underwater Military Equipment.

Application Scenarios:.

Underwater Propulsion Systems.

Ultrasonic Motors (Design/Testing).

Microcontroller-Based Drive Circuits.

Piezoelectric Element Polarization.

EMI-Free (Electromagnetic Interference-Free) Actuators.

Recommended Product: ATG-2000 Series Power Signal Generator.

Figure: ATG-2000 Series Power Signal Generator Specifications 

Xi'an Aigtek Electronics Co., Ltd.Is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D, production, and sales of electronic test and measurement instruments, including Power Amplifiers, High-Voltage Amplifiers, Power Signal Generators, Pre-amplifiers for Small Signals, High-Precision Voltage Sources, and High-Precision Current Sources.Aigtek provides customers with competitive testing solutions.