A Novel Piezo Inertia Actuator Inspired by Motion Mode of Steam Train’s Transmission Mechanism

Previously reported inertia actuators mostly have the problem of greater deviations between positive and reverse speeds. To solve this problem, we have developed a novel piezo inertia actuator with a similar structure, inspired by the motion mode of the steam train’s transmission mechanism. Based on the inertia principle, a saw-tooth waveform voltage is used to drive the actuator. The aim of this study is to report the model design, working principle and the output characteristics experiment of the designed actuator. The prototype is fabricated for testing of mechanical properties. Experiments indicate that the positive and reverse average speeds are 12.59 mm/s and 11.99 mm/s, respectively, with a deviation rate of 4.9%, which is much lower than those of previous actuators. Finally, the experiment proves the effectiveness of the novel piezo inertia actuator inspired by the motion mode of the steam train’s transmission mechanism.