Abstract
In this paper, 11 and 13 layered step-down piezoelectric transformers were fabricated and their electrical characteristics have been analyzed for AC-adapter. When the voltage is applied to the driving piezoelectric vibrator polarized in the longitudinal direction, the output voltage is generated at the generating piezoelectric vibrator polarized in the thickness direction due to the piezoelectric effects. From the piezoelectric direct and converse effects, symbolic expressions between the electric inputs and outputs of the step-down piezoelectric transformer are derived with an equivalent circuit model. With those expressions, load and frequency characteristics are discussed through the simulations. Output voltage and current from a 11-layered and a 13-layered piezoelectric transformers were measured under the different load and frequency conditions. First we measured resonant frequency from impedance curve and got equivalent impedance value of the piezoelectric transformer from admittance plot. It was shown from experiments that output voltage increase s and resonant frequency changes according to the various resistor loads. Output current decreases inversely proportional to the change of loads. Moreover, the measured output voltage and current are well matched with the simulated results obtained from the proposed equivalent circuit model. Furthermore, a new step-down piezoelectric transformer has been suggested to Increase the output power based on a simulation result having a driving piezoelectric vibrator polarized thickness direction.