Analysis of unidirectional broadband piezoelectric spherical shell transducers for underwater acoustics

This paper presents an analytical investigation and experimental verification of the properties of unidirectional broadband piezoelectric acoustic transducers utilizing axisymmetric vibrations of both complete and incomplete spherical piezoelectric shells and is a continuation of a previous paper that presented the electromechanical modal analysis part of the problem [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130(2), 753-763 (2011)]. The analysis covers the treatment of the acoustic radiation and reception problem by including analysis of the acoustic impedances and diffraction coefficients as a function of geometry and modal excitation as well as providing specific design examples including multimode spherical acoustic transducers with conformal baffles, and transducers made of incomplete shells (e.g., hemispheres and caps) with free circumferential boundary conditions. The energy method is used to obtain equivalent parameters for a multi-contour electromechanical circuit representation of the transducer and to calculate the transducer performance characteristic as sound projectors and as receivers. Experimental results are obtained on representative piezoceramic transducer prototypes and are in good agreement with the analytical results.     

Dynamic Modeling and Analysis of Wind Turbine Blade of Piezoelectric Plate Shell

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of vibration control technology of wind turbine blades made of piezoelectric intelligent structures. The design of the blade structure, which is made from piezoelectric material, is approximately equivalent to a flat shell structure. The differential equations of piezoelectric shallow shells for vibration control are derived based on piezoelectric laminated shell theory. On this basis, wind turbine blades are simplified as elastic piezoelectric laminated shells. We establish the electromechanical coupling system dynamic model of intelligent structures and the dynamic equation of composite piezoelectric flat shell structures by analyzing simulations of active vibration control. Simulation results show that, under wind load, blade vibration is reduced upon applying the control voltage.     

径向复合圆柱压电超声换能器

提出一种三元径向复合圆柱压电超声换能器,并对其径向振动特性进行了研究。基于弹性力学理论及机电类比原理,导出了柱坐标系中分割处理径向极化压电陶瓷管准厚度模振动及薄壁短圆管径向振动的机电等效电路;利用径向力和振速连续的边界条件,得出了径向复合圆柱压电换能器系统的径向振动机电等效电路及其共振频率方程。探讨了换能器径向共振频率及有效机电耦合系数随其几何尺寸的变化关系。研究表明,换能器的径向共振频率及有效机电耦合系数随其内芯半径和预应力管壁厚度增大而降低。研制了一些径向复合圆柱压电换能器,并对其径向共振频率进行了测试。结果表明,理论与实验结果基本一致。      

复合圆环弯曲振动四极子模态分析

针对压电圆环弯曲振动机电转换性能较差的问题,提出了一种复合圆环弯曲振动换能器,它由一个径向极化的压电陶瓷内圆环和一个金属外圆环复合而成。基于能量原理推导得到了复合圆环弯曲振动的谐振频率和有效机电耦合系数,探讨了弯曲振动四极子模态特性与其结构尺寸间的关系。当压电圆环尺寸不变时,随外侧金属圆环壁厚增加,复合圆环弯曲振动四极子模态谐振频率上升,有效机电耦合系数迅速上升到极大值后缓慢下降。最后,设计制作了圆环换能器并对其谐振频率和有效机电耦合系数进行了实验测试,测试结果与解析结果和数值模拟结果吻合得较好。      

Analysis of the natural vibrations of circular piezoceramic plates with partial electrodes

The finite-element method is used to analyze the thickness-symmetric vibrations of piezoelectric plates with partial electrodes. The spectra of the natural vibrations at resonance and antiresonance, the dynamic electromechanical coupling coefficient, and the vibration modes of these plates are studied for a wide range of geometric dimensions of both the plates and the partial electrodes. The optimal dimensions of the plates and electrodes, which correspond to the maximal values of the coupling coefficient, are determined. The increase in the coupling coefficient due to the utilization of the partial electrodes is considered for piezoelectric plates made of ceramics of various compositions. It is shown that all piezoceramic compositions can be divided into two groups. For the first group, the utilization of the partial electrodes can increase the coupling coefficient of the thickness vibrations by 7–23%, depending on the vibration mode. For the second group of piezoceramics, the coupling coefficient cannot be increased in this way; in other words, complete electrodes are optimal for the thickness vibrations of plates made of piezoceramics that belongs to the second group.     

On the optimization of the effective electromechanical coupling coefficients of a piezoelectric body

Effective electromechanical coupling coefficients are defined based on the expression for the internal energy of a piezoelectric body [B. S. Aronov, "Energy analysis of a piezoelectric body under nonuniform deformation," J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113, 2638-2646 (2003)]. The condition is considered under which the effective coupling coefficient can be maximized up to the value of the material coupling coefficient for any given distribution of deformation. A simple practical way to optimize the effective coupling coefficient of a transducer by changing its electrode shape is illustrated with examples of transducers vibrating in longitudinal and flexural modes.     

Ferroelectret non-contact ultrasonic transducers

Dielectric and electromechanical properties of the cellular polypropylene ferroelectret films (EMFIT), combining strong piezoelectric response with a low density and softness, evidence their high potential for the air-coupled ultrasonic applications. The disadvantage of the low coupling factor is compensated by the extremely low acoustic impedance, which provides excellent matching to air and promises efficient sound transmission through the air–transducer interface. The influence of the electrodes on the electromechanical properties was investigated. Electron beam evaporation technology was adapted to the EMFIT films, and films with both-sided Au and Al electrodes were prepared without reducing or suppressing of the electromechanical properties. Finally, prototype transducers based on the EMFIT films were developed. In spite of the simple construction and absence of matching layers, high sensitivity of the EMFIT transducers was proved in the air-coupled ultrasonic experiment. Amplitude and delay time scanned images of the polyethylene step wedge with holes, obtained in both pulse-echo and transmission modes, demonstrate that non-contact ultrasonic imaging and testing with EMFIT transducers is possible. PACS 43.35.+d; 43.38.+n; 43.35.Zc; 43.38.-p     

Theoretical analysis and experimental validation of radial cascaded composite ultrasonic transducer

A radial cascaded composite ultrasonic transducer is analyzed.The transducer consists of three short metal tubes and two radially polarized piezoelectric ceramic short tubes arranged alternately along the radial direction.The short metal tubes and the piezoelectric ceramic short tubes are connected in parallel electrically and in series mechanically,which can multiply the input sound power and sound intensity.Based on the theory of plane stress,the electro-mechanical equivalent circuit of radial vibration of the transducer is derived firstly.The resonance/anti-resonance frequency equation and the expression of the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient are obtained.Excellent electromechanical characteristics are determined by changing the radial geometric dimensions.Two prototypes of the transducers are designed and manufactured to support the analytical theory.It is concluded that the theoretical resonance/anti-resonance frequencies are consistent with the numerical and experimental results.When R_2 is at certain values,both the anti-resonance frequency and effective electromechanical coupling coefficient corresponding to the second mode have maximal values.The radial cascaded composite ultrasonic transducer is expected to be used in the fields of ultrasonic water treatment and underwater acoustics.     

On the acoustic radiation modes of compact regular polyhedral arrays of independent loudspeakers

Compact spherical loudspeaker arrays can be used to provide control over their directivity pattern. Usually, this is made by adjusting the gains of preprogrammed spatial filters corresponding to a finite set of spherical harmonics, or to the acoustic radiation modes of the loudspeaker array. Unlike the former, the latter are closely related to the radiation efficiency of the source and span the subspace of the directivities it can produce. However, the radiation modes depend on frequency for arbitrary distributions of transducers on the sphere, which yields complex directivity filters. This work focuses on the most common loudspeaker array configurations, those following the regular shape of the Platonic solids. It is shown that the radiation modes of these sources are frequency independent, and simple algebraic expressions are derived for their radiation efficiencies. In addition, since such modes are vibration patterns driven by electrical signals, the transduction mechanism of compact multichannel sources is also investigated, which is an important issue, especially if the transducers interact inside a shared cabinet. For Platonic solid loudspeakers, it is shown that the common enclosure does not lead to directivity filters that depend on frequency.     

Modeling and analysis of laminate composite plates with embedded active-passive piezoelectric networks

The objective of this work is to present the finite element modeling of laminate composite plates with embedded piezoelectric patches or layers that are then connected to active-passive resonant shunt circuits, composed of resistance, inductance and voltage source. Applications to passive vibration control and active control authority enhancement are also presented and discussed. The finite element model is based on an equivalent single layer theory combined with a third-order shear deformation theory. A stress-voltage electromechanical model is considered for the piezoelectric materials fully coupled to the electrical circuits. To this end, the electrical circuit equations are also included in the variational formulation. Hence, conservation of charge and full electromechanical coupling are guaranteed. The formulation results in a coupled finite element model with mechanical (displacements) and electrical (charges at electrodes) degrees of freedom. For a Graphite-Epoxy (Carbon-Fibre Reinforced) laminate composite plate, a parametric analysis is performed to evaluate optimal locations along the plate plane (xy) and thickness (z) that maximize the effective modal electromechanical coupling coefficient. Then, the passive vibration control performance is evaluated for a network of optimally located shunted piezoelectric patches embedded in the plate, through the design of resistance and inductance values of each circuit, to reduce the vibration amplitude of the first four vibration modes. A vibration amplitude reduction of at least 10 dB for all vibration modes was observed. Then, an analysis of the control authority enhancement due to the resonant shunt circuit, when the piezoelectric patches are used as actuators, is performed. It is shown that the control authority can indeed be improved near a selected resonance even with multiple pairs of piezoelectric patches and active-passive circuits acting simultaneously.     

Study of the sandwiched piezoelectric ultrasonic torsional transducer

The sandwiched piezoelectric ultrasonic torsional transducer was studied. The transducer consists of front and back metal cylinders, and coaxially segmented, tangentially polarized, piezoelectric ceramic tubes. The torsional vibration of the tangentially polarized piezoelectric ceramic slender tube was studied first and its electromechanical equivalent circuit was derived. Based on the network theory and the electromechanical equivalent circuit, the torsional vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic cylinder, formed by stacking a number of identical short piezoelectric ceramic rings, was analysed and the electromechanical equivalent circuit of the piezoelectric ceramic stack in torsional vibration was developed. Finally, the sandwiched ultrasonic torsional transducer was studied and resonance frequency equations were derived which can be used to design and calculate the torsional transducers for different applications.     

偶极声波换能器振动特性计算

利用ANSYS有限元软件计算了声波测井中使用的偶极子换能器在不同机械边界条件下的振动模态和频率响应。计算结果显示,偶极子换能器在一定的频率范围内有多个振动模态,不同的机械边界条件不仅影响振动模态的个数而且还影响同一振动模态的谐振频率;从频率响应曲线上还可以看出此结构的偶极子换能器在做弯曲振动时的频带较窄,这对在不同地层井眼中进行的偶极子声波测井非常不利。通过多个不同主频的偶极子换能器组合工作可以从根本上拓宽偶极声波换能器的频带宽度。     

High-Speed Quantum Transducer with a Single-Photon Emitter in a 2D Resonator

Quantum transducers can transfer quantum information between different systems. Microwave–optical photon conversion is important for future quantum networks to interconnect remote superconducting quantum computers with optical fibers. Here, a high-speed quantum transducer based on a single-photon emitter in an atomically thin membrane resonator, that can couple single microwave photons to single optical photons, is proposed. The 2D resonator is a freestanding van der Waals heterostructure (which may consist of hexagonal boron nitride, graphene, or other 2D materials) that hosts a quantum emitter. The mechanical vibration (phonon) of the 2D resonator interacts with optical photons by shifting the optical transition frequency of the single-photon emitter with strain or the Stark effect. The mechanical vibration couples to microwave photons by shifting the resonant frequency of an LC circuit that includes the membrane. Thanks to the small mass of the 2D resonator, both the single-photon optomechanical coupling strength and the electromechanical coupling strength can reach the strong coupling regime. This provides a way for high-speed quantum state transfer between a microwave photon, a phonon, and an optical photon.     

A GROUP THEORETIC APPROACH TO THE LINEAR FREE VIBRATION ANALYSIS OF SHELLS WITH DIHEDRAL SYMMETRY

This paper deals with a group theoretic approach to the finite element analysis of linear free vibrations of shells with dihedral symmetry. Examples of such shell structures are cylindrical shells, conical shells, shells with circumferential stiffeners, corrugated shells, spherical shells, etc. The group theoretic approach is used to exploit the inherent symmetry in the problem. For vibration analysis, the group theoretic results give the correct symmetry-adapted basis for the displacement field. The stiffness matrix K and the mass matrix M are identically block diagonalized in this basis. The generalized linear eigenvalue problem of free vibration gets split into independent subproblems due to this block diagonalization. The Simo element is used in the finite element formulation of the shell equilibrium equations. Numerical results for natural frequencies and natural modes of vibration of several dihedral shell structures are presented. The results are shown to be in very good agreement with those reported in the literature. The computational advantages and physical insights due to the group theoretic approach are also discussed.     

Study on the multifrequency Langevin ultrasonic transducer

Langevin ultrasonic transducers are widely used in high-power ultrasonics and underwater sound. In ultrasonic cleaning, a matching metal horn rather than a metal cylinder is used as the radiator in order to enhance the radiating surface and improve the acoustic matching between the transducer and the processed medium. To raise the effect of ultrasonic cleaning, the standing wave in the cleaning tank should be eliminated. One method to eliminate the standing wave in the tank is to use the multifrequency ultrasonic transducer. In this paper, the Langevin ultrasonic horn transducer, with two resonance frequencies, is studied. The transducer consists of two groups of piezoelectric ceramic elements: the back metal cylinder, the middle metal cylinder and the front matching metal horn. The vibrational modes of the transducer are analysed, and resonance frequency equations of the transducer in the half-wave and the all-wave vibrational modes are derived. According to the resonance frequency equations, transducers with two resonance frequencies are designed and made. The resonance frequencies, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficients and the equivalent electric impedances of the transducers are measured. It is shown that the measured resonance frequencies are in good agreement with the computed results, and the transducer can be excited to vibrate at two resonance frequencies, which correspond to the half-wave and the all-wave vibrational modes of the transducer.     

Piezoelectric linear motor concepts based on coupling of longitudinal vibrations

Classically, rotary motors with gears and spindle mechanisms are used to achieve translatory motion. In means of miniaturization and weight reduction piezoelectric linear motors are of interest. Several ultrasonic linear motors found in literature base on the use of two different vibration modes. Most often flexural and longitudinal modes are combined to achieve an elliptic micro-motion of surface points. This micro-motion is converted to direct linear (or translatory) motion of a driven slider. To gain high amplitudes of the micro-motion and thus having a powerful motor, the ultrasonic vibrator should be driven near the eigenfrequency of its modes. Additionally, low mechanical and electrical losses lead to increased efficiency and large amplitude magnification in resonance. This demands a geometrical design that fits the eigenfrequencies of the two different modes. A frequency-deviation of only a few percent leads to non-acceptable disturbance of the elliptical motion. Thus, the mechanical design of the vibrators has to be done very carefully. Within this contribution we discuss different motor designs based on the coupling of two the same longitudinal vibrations within one structure to generate an elliptic motion of surface points. Different concepts based on piezoelectric plates and Langevin transducers are compared. Benefits and drawbacks against the combination of longitudinal and bending modes will be discussed. Numerical results of the stator vibration as well as motor characteristics are validated by measurements on different prototypes.     

The investigation of high frequency vibration modes of PZT-4 transducers using ESPI techniques with reference beam modulation

In this paper the experimental vibration amplitudes together with the vibration modes of the PZT-4 transducer radiating front face are presented for generation in various media. The studies were carried out using an electronic speckle pattern interferometer (ESPI) with reference beam modulation to give resolution down to 20 Å of surface amplitude. Analogies are drawn between these transducers and the resonant vibration modes of thin plates. The relationship between the surface vibration amplitudes and the radiation beam pattern of the transducers is also presented.     

Equivalent circuits and directivity patterns of air-coupled ultrasonic transducers

Air-coupled transducers for producing ultrasonic radiation in gases are studied. The transducer consists of a circular thin plate in flexural vibration and a sandwich longitudinal electromechanical vibrator that is attached to the center of the plate. The lowest-order axially symmetric flexural vibrational mode of a circular thin plate is analyzed. The equivalent circuits of the circular plate in flexural vibration and the compound transducer are presented and the frequency equation is derived. The radiated ultrasonic field of the circular thin plate in flexural vibration is calculated and the directivity pattern is obtained theoretically. Some transducers of this type are designed according to the frequency equation, and their resonance frequencies are measured. The measured resonance frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical results, and the calculated radiation ultrasonic field is also in good agreement with the measured results of a previous work.     

Effect of heterogeneity on the axisymmetric vibrations of cylindrical shells

The influence of large heterogeneity on the axisymmetric vibration characteristics of thin, composite cylindrical shells is studied, both analytically and numerically. In the neighborhood of the axisymmetric breathing mode, frequency spectra for shells of infinite and finite length are shown to be influenced qualitatively as well as quantitatively by large deviations from material and geometric symmetry in layer arrangement. A study of mode coupling in a semi-infinite shell is made for both end modes and modes with stationary frequency with real finite wave number, the latter being uniquely generated by a special class of heterogeneity. In each case, analytical estimates are given for frequencies, wave numbers, and modal amplitudes as functions of material and geometric properties of the shell.     

用于汽车低频振动控制的局域共振声子晶体*

低频振动的控制是评估汽车舒适性的重要指标。针对汽车板件结构的低频振动控制问题,提出了一种基于局域共振机理的新型准二维声子晶体板。其结构由单侧复合圆柱共振单元周期排布在基板上构成。通过有限元方法得到了该结构的带隙特性,并结合其振型和传输谱分析了低频完全带隙的形成机理。研究表明,不同形式的板振动模式与圆柱共振单元的局域共振模式相互耦合形成面内带隙与面外带隙,两者叠加形成完全带隙。进一步研究发现,通过改变结构的材料和尺寸参数可以将共振带隙调节到满足实际应用要求的极低频范围,可在低于100 Hz的频段形成完全带隙,并可在更宽的频带内抑制z方向振动的弯曲波,为声子晶体在车身板件减振中的实际应用提供了依据。