Computations and measurements of transient stress waves and electrical voltages generated by transmitting ultrasonic piezoelectric transducers

the Mason model is used to compute the transient stress generated by a thickness mode piezoelectric transducer excited by a step voltage for various backings or loadings. The predicted stress pulse is experimentally shown to conform with the plane wave component of the radiation field. Verification is effected after visualizing the real radiation field and isolating its plane wave component and after applying surface transduction for detection.From the transmitting transducer a generated voltage is brought to attention. This quantity is closely related to the width of the initial pulse in the received ultrasonic signal display. The theoretical induced voltages are verified experimentally.