Power Electronics

Power electronics plays a fundamental role in mechatronics, as a link between the control layer, and the actuators. Most recent trends suggest integrating the power converters within the actuators themselves. This requires:

To develop new types of semiconductors (like high-temperature semiconductors).
To develop new converter topologies, in order to reduce the number and size of passive elements.
To adapt the packaging (e.g. to take cooling issues into account).

As a consequence, power electronics is a component in the development of a mechatronic product which deserves specific attention.

Driving of a linear piezoelectric actuators

Details: Written by Paul Sente

Although the magnitudes of piezoelectric deformations are small (typically <0.1% of the initial length of the ceramic), piezoelectric ceramics provide high forces with low voltages. Thanks to these interesting properties piezoelectric materials have been adapted to an impressive range of applications from spatial to medical fields.

The piezoelectric ceramics are used in sensing applications, such as in force or displacement sensors or actuation applications, such as in motors and devices that precisely control positioning but as their movements are very small, they are generally amplified by a mechanical structure.