Selecting passive and active materials for 1.3 composite power transducers

1.3 PZT-polymer composites were fabricated using the dice and fill method with various PZT types and volume fractions. These composites were evaluated for power underwater transducer applications with an air backed and no matching layer configuration. Electrical input and acoustical output powers were monitored as a function of the drive level. Total acoustic power densities of 30 W/cm2 were obtained with a P189/epoxy piezocomposite vibrating at 350 kHz with a low duty cycle (1-5%) and with a 90% efficiency. Power densities up to 20 W/cm2 were measured with a 50% duty cycle. Evolution and destruction of the transducers were monitored versus increasing averaged power. It was observed that better efficiencies were obtained with low volume fraction configurations allowing natural acoustic impedance matching to water. It was found that hard PZT type (Navy III) are optimal compositions even for piezocomposite transducers. It is shown that, unlike a common belief, the polymer mechanical losses are comparable to those of the active ceramic justifying that 1.3 piezocomposites are suited for low-cost power applications. In fact, the main limitation induced by the polymer phase is a strong thermal breakdown when the temperature of the transducer approaches the glass transition region of the polymer. Measurements of the polymer losses as a function of the temperature were obtained confirming this point and offering interesting new alternatives for future composite power transducers.     

Miniature piezoelectric conical transducer: fabrication, evaluation and application

This paper reports a new type miniature-conical transducer for acoustic emission measurements. The transducer follows the basic idea and structure of a conventional NBS conical transducer, but is much compact in size and easier to use. The improvements are made possible by introducing an excimer laser micromachining method for fabricating smaller PZT conical elements, which play a key role in the transducer. Conical PZT elements with contact size less then 300 microm are laser-machined and the miniature-conical transducers are constructed. Standard quantitative acoustic emission testing is performed on a plate using the fabricated transducers and good results are observed. The transducers can be very useful in many applications involving quantitative measurements of transient elastic waves.     

Fabrication and comparison of PMN-PT single crystal, PZT and PZT-based 1-3 composite ultrasonic transducers for NDE applications

This paper describes fabrication and comparison of PMN-PT single crystal, PZT, and PZT-based 1-3 composite ultrasonic transducers for NDE applications. As a front matching layer between test material (Austenite stainless steel, SUS316) and piezoelectric materials, alumina ceramics was selected. The appropriate acoustic impedance of the backing materials for each transducer was determined based on the results of KLM model simulation. Prototype ultrasonic transducers with the center frequencies of approximately 2.25 and 5 MHz for contact measurement were fabricated and compared to each other. The PMN-PT single crystal ultrasonic transducer shows considerably improved performance in sensitivity over the PZT and PZT-based 1-3 composite ultrasonic transducers.     

激光辐照下预加载CFRC层合板断裂行为实验研究

针对激光与机械载荷联合作用下碳纤维/环氧树脂增强复合材料（CFRC）层合板失效时间的预测需求,实验研究了不同激光功率密度（70～210 W/cm2）、不同预应力水平（拉伸强度的50%和70%）、不同光斑尺寸（拉伸试件宽度的70%和100%）下2 mm厚层合板的失效机理,获取了不同影响因素对断裂时间的影响规律。结果表明:预加载层合板失效机制为迎光面环氧树脂基底材料热解、纤维氧化断裂,背光面剩余结构偏脆性断裂;在预应力一定条件下,试件断裂时间与辐照激光功率密度成指数规律;预应力水平对断裂时间影响显著。     

Acoustic power calibration of high-intensity focused ultrasound transducers using a radiation force technique

To address the challenges associated with measuring the ultrasonic power from high-intensity focused ultrasound transducers via radiation force, a technique based on pulsed measurements was developed and analyzed. Two focused ultrasound transducers were characterized in terms of an effective duty factor, which was then used to calculate the power during the pulse at high applied power levels. Two absorbing target designs were used, and both gave comparable results and displayed no damage and minimal temperature rise if placed near the transducer and away from the focus. The method yielded reproducible results up to the maximum pulse power generated of approximately 230 W, thus allowing the radiated power to be calibrated in terms of the peak-to-peak voltage applied to the transducer.     

Temperature dependence of the stress transfer for thermal resistance polymer composites by X-ray diffraction

Temperature dependence of the stress transfer from the matrix resin to the incorporated fiber has been measured for poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber/bismaleimide (BMI) resin composite by a novel X-ray diffraction method. At 120°C, stress transfer and tensile strength of the PBO/BMI composite are superior to that of the PBO/epoxy composite, due to the excellent thermal resistance and good mechanical property of BMI resins. The PBO/BMI composite possesses good adhesion and excellent mechanical properties at high temperature, which are suitable for thermal resistance applications.     

Assessing the relationship between the inter-rod coupling and the efficiency of piezocomposite high-intensity focused ultrasound transducers

The electroacoustic conversion efficiency of the ultrasonic transducer is a critical performance index for high-power applications. The material properties, volume fraction (VF) and aspect ratio (AR) are typically regarded as the design parameters of the piezocomposite transducer. We hypothesized that the spacing between piezoelectric rods was also a dominant factor. Therefore, the inter-rod coupling effects on the efficiency of 1–3 piezocomposite ultrasonic transducers were investigated in this study. The efficiencies of six flat and three curved 1.0 MHz PZT4 epoxy composite transducers with different geometric parameters were measured. Finite element transient analyses of the inter-rod electrical-mechanical coupling in the composites were carried out to explain the measured results. The experimental results showed that for 0.47 AR, the 79% VF transducers had lower efficiency than the 64% VF and 53% VF transducers. For 0.19 AR, the efficiency of the 59% VF transducer was not greater than the efficiency of the 39% VF transducer. Numerical analyses demonstrated that the positive peak voltage induced by the coupling of the side rods was more than twice the level induced by the coupling of the diagonal rods for any spacing. The diagonal coupling voltage peak did not change for spacings larger than 0.2 mm. Moreover, for spacings of 0.05 and 0.1 mm, the inter-rod coupling caused 24% and 20% waveform shifts of the driving voltage, respectively, while the 0.2 mm spacing coupling caused a 14% reduction in the amplitude of the driving voltage. As a result, the asymmetry of the driving voltage degraded the efficiency of the composite transducers and became more severe when the spacing was decreased. We concluded that the efficiency loss induced by inter-rod coupling as a function of spacing should be considered when designing piezocomposite transducers.     

Fabrication of combined 0–3 and 1–3 connectivities PZT/epoxy resin composites

PZT/epoxy resin composites of combined 0–3 and 1–3 connectivities were fabricated, for the first time, using suction, dice and fill techniques. Two types of composites (PZT(m)/epoxy resin and PZT(sp)/epoxy resin) were produced using PZT powders prepared by mixed oxide and spray-drying methods. Physical, mechanical, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the composites were examined. Generally, overall results between the two composites were found to be very similar (volumetric changes ∼34–37%, d₃₃∼20.2–25.3 pC/N, K_p∼0.54–0.61). Higher density was found in PZT(sp)/epoxy resin, however, due to better packing of particles. Moreover, both PZT/epoxy resin composites exhibited very low acoustic impedance (Z∼4.12–4.84 Mrayls), which is very close to that of human tissue and water. Therefore, these new composites may be suitable for use in medical applications. PACS 81.05.Qk; 81.05.Zx; 77.87.-s     

Advantage analysis of PMN-PT material for free-flooded ring transducers

The acoustic radiation characteristics of free-flooded ring transducers made of PZT4 and PMN-PT materials are calculated and compared.First,the theoretical formulae for free-flooded ring transducers are studied.The resonant frequencies of a transducer made of PZT4 and PMN-PT materials are calculated.Then,the transmitting voltage responses of the free-flooded ring transducers are calculated using the finite element method.Finally,the acoustic radiation characteristics of the free-flooded ring transducers are calculated using the boundary element method.The calculated results show that the resonant frequencies of the free-flooded ring transducer made of PMN-PT are greatly reduced compared with those made of PZT4 with the same size.The transmitting voltage response of the transducer made of PMN-PT is much higher than that of the transducer made of PZT4.The calculated 3-dB beamwidth of the acoustic radiated far-field directivity of the free-flooded ring transducer made of PZT4 at the resonant frequency 1900 Hz is 63.6 and that of the transducer made of PMN-PT at the resonant frequency 1000 Hz is 64.6.The comparison results show that the free-flooded ring transducer made of PMN-PT material has many advantages over that made of PZT4.The PMN-PT is a promising material for improving the performance of free-flooded ring transducers.     

Thermal behavior of acousto-optic devices: effects of ultrasound absorption and transducer losses

In the present paper we analyze the electric and acoustic losses in acousto-optic devices, especially in their ultrasonic transducers and the related thermal effects. We include electric and acoustic losses into the classical electric equivalent model of the transducer, to explain the characteristics of the measured electric and thermal behavior. Measured temperature distributions on the acousto-optic crystal faces serve visualization of the conversion efficiency of the radio-frequency input to bulk acoustic waves. We show that the pronounced acoustic frequency dependence of the temperature distribution is in correlation with the frequency dependent losses in the transducer and in the bulk. We also demonstrate experimentally the effectiveness of our active and passive heat removing and temperature stabilization methods.     

Study on the properties of a novel shape-stable epoxy resin sealed expanded graphite/paraffin composite PCM and its application in buildings

In this study, a novel phase change material (PCM) of epoxy resin sealed expanded graphite/paraffin composite was developed as an independent attachment for building applications. A relatively high thermal energy storage density and a high thermal conductivity (2.141?W/(m·K)) were obtained in the composite PCM. The mass fraction of paraffin in the composite PCM could reach 94% without leakage of liquid paraffin when being heated at 50°C for more than 3 h, and the thermal cycle stability was good. Moreover, the thermal storage and release properties of this composite PCM with different thicknesses were studied by numerical simulation. The results showed that the thermal storage and release time are proportional to the thickness of the composite PCM, and there was almost no temperature gradient during the thermal storage and release process, which indicated that the thermal conductivity of this kind of composite PCM was high enough for building applications.     

重频激光作用下碳纤维/环氧树脂复合材料热损伤规律

 运用热化学分析、扫描电子显微技术等手段,分析了碳纤维增强环氧树脂基复合材料在ms量级重频激光辐照下的损伤形式,研究了峰值功率密度、辐照时间、重复频率和脉冲宽度等对复合材料烧蚀规律的影响。研究结果表明：在激光辐照过程中,复合材料树脂基体在300 ℃开始裂解;由于裂解气体的保护作用,碳纤维不发生氧化,而是在汽化点（3 300 ℃）汽化烧蚀;复合材料热烧蚀率随峰值功率密度和重复频率提高而增大,随辐照时间增加而减小,最终均趋于定值;增加脉冲宽度可以提高辐照区峰值温度,降低碳纤维损伤的功率密度阈值。     

新型热阴极电子枪加热结构热分析

利用ANSYS和COMSOL仿真模拟软件,对热阴极电子枪的加热结构进行热分析,得到了阴极加热结构设计的一些规律,然后通过实验对一系列加热结构进行阴极温度测试,进一步验证模拟计算的结果,得到了一种加热效率比较高的结构。该结构在加热功率为100 W时,阴极温度超过了1 900 K,达到了铱铈阴极的工作温度。在阴极温度1 800 K左右,阴极表面引出电场强度为3.6×106V/m的条件下,该阴极的最大发射电流达到1.04 A,发射电流密度约13 A/cm2。     

Fracture toughness of the epoxy/ATPEI-CTBN-ATPEI triblock copolymer/NMA blend system

The shortcoming of epoxy resin is the brittleness of this material though it shows excellent chemical, mechanical and electric properties. To improve fracture toughness of epoxy resin, rubbery materials that show high values in toughness but low values in glass transition temperature and mechanical properties, and thermoplastics that show high values in thermal and mechanical properties but relatively small increase in toughness were blended with epoxy. ATPEI-CTBN-ATPEI triblock copolymer, which consists of rubbery and thermoplastics blocks, was synthesized, and the triblock copolymer was blended with epoxy resin. The effects of parameters such as contents of the triblock copolymer, cure temperature, and contents of catalyst on the morphology of the blend systems were studied. From 30 wt% of the contents of the triblock copolymer, fracture toughness and impact energy absorption of the blend systems were increased significantly. This was due to the generation of nodular morphology in the system.     

Bonding and impedance matching of acoustic transducers using silver epoxy

Silver epoxy was selected to bond transducer plates on glass substrates. The properties and thickness of the bonding medium affect the electrical input impedance of the transducer. Thus, the thickness of the silver epoxy bonding layer was used as a design parameter to optimize the structure for the transducer input impedance to match the 50 Ω output impedance of most radio frequency (RF) generators. Simulation and experimental results show that nearly perfect matching is achieved without using any matching circuit. At the matching condition, the transducer operates at a frequency band a little bit below the half-wavelength resonant frequency of the piezoelectric plate. In experiments, lead titanate (PT) piezoelectric plates were employed. Both full-size, 11.5 mm × 2 mm × 0.4 mm, and half-size, 5.75 mm × 2 mm × 0.4 mm, can be well matched using optimal silver epoxy thickness. The transducer assemblies demonstrate high efficiency. The conversion loss from electrical power to acoustic power in soda-lime glass is 4.3 dB. This loss is low considering the fact that the transducers operate at off-resonance by 12%. With proper choice of silver epoxy thickness, the transducer can be matched at the fundamental, the 3rd and 5th harmonic frequencies. This leads to the possible realization of triple-band transducers. Reliability was assessed with thermal cycling test according to Telcordia GR-468-Core recommendation. Of the 30 transducer assemblies tested, none broke until 2900 cycles and 27 have sustained beyond 4050 cycles.     

Anisotropic orientation of the carbon fiber/liquid crystalline epoxy resin composites

Anisotropic orientation of carbon fiber (CF)/liquid crystalline epoxy (LCE) resin composite was readily induced during curing on a CF surface along a long molecular axis of CF. Orientation of LCE was confirmed with polarized optical microscope (POM) and wide angle X-ray diffractometer (WAXD). In addition, anisotropic ordering of LCE was correlated with curing rate, dynamic mechanical properties and thermal expansion behaviors of CF/LCE composite. Curing of LCE was accelerated in the presence of CF and the rubbery modulus of the CF/LCE composites cured at low temperature was enhanced by long-range, long axis orientational ordering of the LCE resin along a CF surface. Fully cured CF/LCE composite showed a negative coefficient of thermal expansion in the fiber direction. These results obtained in this study are interpreted in terms of structural changes occurring during curing.     

Lead-free transducer for non-destructive evaluation

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with the formula 0.90(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃ - 0.05(Bi_0.5K_0.5)TiO₃ - 0.015(Bi_0.5Li_0.5)TiO₃-0.05BaTiO₃ (abbreviated as BNKLBT-1.5) were prepared by a conventional mixed-oxide method. A disc of this material was fabricated and used to construct an ultrasonic transducer suitable for use in non-destructive evaluation (NDE). Using a laser vibrometer, it was observed that both BNKLBT and PZT exhibited a surface displacement pattern indicative of coupling of the radial mode vibration with the thickness mode vibration. This is consistent with the measurements of electrical impedance vs frequency which showed that for both discs a strong radial mode with many harmonics was clearly observed and many (usually undesired) modes existed near the thickness mode resonance frequency. The discs were mounted in stainless steel housings with appropriate electrical connections to form transducers. Tungsten/epoxy backing was incorporated to provide a very short ring-down time, a characteristic required for many NDE applications. The characteristics of the BNKLBT transducer were quite similar to that of a PZT transducer of similar structure, showing that this lead-free material has the potential to replace PZT in transducers for NDE applications. PACS 43.20.Tb; 43.20.Ye; 43.35.Zc; 43.35.Yb; 43.38.Ar; 43.35.Fx     

High Frequency PMN-PT 1-3 Composite Transducer for Ultrasonic Imaging Application

Development of PMN-PT single crystal/epoxy 1-3 composites for high-frequency ultrasonic transducers application is presented. The composite was fabricated by using a DRIE dry etching process with a 45% volume fraction of PMN-PT. A 35 MHz ultrasound flat transducer was fabricated with the composite, which was found to have an effective electromechanical coupling coefficient of 0.81, an insertion loss of 18 db, and a -6 dB bandwidth as high as 100%. Tungsten wire phantom image shows that the transducer had an axial resolution of 30 μm, which was in good agreement with the theoretical expectation. The initial results showed that the PMN-PT/epoxy 1-3 composite has many attractive properties over conventional piezoelectric materials for medical imaging applications.     

Preparation and characterization of carbon nanotubes/epoxy resin nano-prepreg for nanocomposites

The surface carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were modified to generate functional reactors by using the sonicication method to distribute CNTs evenly among epoxy resin, which was prepared into nano-prepreg with carbon fibers. Additionally, based on various proportions of modified and unmodified CNTs, the mechanical properties and conductivities of the composite, as well as, the characteristics of material subjected to various temperature conditions were investigated. Experimental results indicate that increasing CNT content enhances the mechanical strength and electrical properties. At various temperatures, the mechanical strength drops with increase in temperature because different expansion coefficients differ between fiber and epoxy resin. Finally, the failure surface of nanocomposite was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally we provide a discussion of the failure mechanism of the material.     

Piezoelectric transducer vibrations in a one-dimensional approximation

Summary The theory of piezoelectric transducer vibrations, which may be treated as onedimensional, is developed in detail for thin discs vibrating in a pure thickness extensional mode. An effort has been made to obtain relations of general validity, which include losses, and which are in a simple explicit form convenient for practical calculations. The behaviour of transducers is discussed with special attention to their characteristics at the two fundamental frequencies, the so-called parallel and series resonances. Several peculiarities occur when transducers are coupled to media with considerably different acoustic impedances. These peculiarities are discussed and illustrated by numerical results for quartz and PZT 4 piezoelectric discs radiating into water, air and liquid hydrogen. The application of the theory to different types of vibrations is briefly illustrated for thin bars vibrating longitudinally. Short discussions are included on compound transducer systems, and on the properties of thin discs as receivers.