3.

4 Applications of Piezoelectric Materials 47

microphone-equipped video cameras and mobile phones. Finally, since piezo

actuators require no lubrication to operate, they are used in cryogenic and
vacuum environments.
Using a stack actuator, extremely fine, virtually infinite resolution is possible
with very high voltages corresponding to minute movements of expansion. A
piezo actuator can operate billions of times without wear or deterioration. Its
response speed is exceptional, and it is limited only by the inertia of the object
being moved and the output capability of the electronic driver. When operating
in an energized state, a piezo actuator consumes virtually no power and generates
very little heat.

3.4.4 Piezoelectric Transformer

The piezoelectric transformer is a combination of piezoelectric actuator and

piezoelectric transducer. It is an electrical energy transmission device that
contains no conventional magnetic elements and that functions via the elec-
tromechanical coupling between the adjacent piezoelectric actuator and the
transducer. Due to their special characteristics, in the past few decades, piezo-
electric transformers have been developed and used widely in many applications,
such as DC/DC converter and electronic ballast for fluorescent lamps. Both
piezoelectric actuator and piezoelectric transducer are made up of piezoelectric
elements. Generally, piezoelectric elements can work in either longitudinal mode
or transverse mode with a corresponding resonant frequency. In the longitudinal
mode, the direction of the mechanical stress T is parallel to the electric or
polarization direction P, with a corresponding resonant frequency, as shown in
Figure 3.6a. In the transverse mode, the direction of the mechanical stress T is
perpendicular to the electric or polarization direction P, with a corresponding
resonant frequency, as shown in Figure 3.6b. A piezoelectric element can work
as either a piezoelectric actuator or a piezoelectric transducer.
Instead of the magnetic field coupling that occurs between the primary and
secondary windings in a conventional magnetic core transformer, piezoelectric
transformer transfers electrical energy via electromechanical coupling between
the primary and secondary piezoelectric elements for step-up or step-down volt-
age conversion. At present, there are three main piezoelectric transformer cate-
gories: Rosen [26–28], thickness vibration mode [29], and radial vibration mode
[30], shown in Figures 3.7–3.9, respectively.

V V
P T P T

(a) (b)

Figure 3.6 (a) Longitudinal mode piezoelectric element and (b) transverse mode piezoelectric
element [25].