Effect of the hydrodynamic bearing on rotor/stator contact in a ring-type ultrasonic motor

A hybrid numerical analysis that includes the hydrodynamic bearing effect and elastic contact in a ring-type ultrasonic motor is presented. The two-dimensional Reynolds equation is solved numerically by a finite difference algorithm. The rotor deformation is described by a one-dimensional Green's function obtained by using a finite element elastic analysis code. The contact problem is solved by an iteration method so that the contact condition and the hydrodynamic bearing condition are satisfied simultaneously. The results show that the hydrodynamic bearing effect is significant for ultrasonic frequency contact of the rotor and stator. Surface roughness, contact area, and normal vibrating speed of the stator are important parameters in the hydrodynamic bearing.<<ETX>>