Characteristics of backing impacts on the performance of the thickness mode piezoelectric transducer

The impacts of the thickness, the specific acoustic impedance and the mechanical loss factor of the backing on the performance of the thickness mode piezoelectric transducer are systemically studied, which are focused on the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient and the mechanical quality factor near the center frequency. The results show that with contin?uous increasing of the backing thickness, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient and the mechanical quality factor are found rapidly declined by oscillation way. With the increase of the difference value of the acoustic impedance between the backing material and the piezoelec?tric material, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient deceases and the mechanical quality factor increases. Under condition that the thickness of the piezoelectric material is fixed, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient is found declined with the increase of the mechanical loss factor by monotonous way. The mechanical quality factor has minimum value and the electric characteristic curve tends to be smooth in a given frequency range. The equivalent circuit theory result is in good agreement with the ones by finite element method and the experimental results. The work mentioned above provides a theoretical guidance for the design and experimental fabrication of the thickness mode piezoelectric transducer.     

背衬参数对厚度模压电换能器特性的影响

系统研究了厚度模压电换能器的背衬厚度、声阻抗率及机械损耗因子对换能器振动性能影响,重点分析了在所关心频率附近的有效机电耦合系数和机械品质因数。计算结果表明,随着背衬厚度增大,换能器的有效机电耦合系数和机械品质因数均震荡减小;背衬声阻抗率与压电片声阻抗率差值增大,换能器有效机电耦合系数减小,机械品质因数增大;保持压电片厚度不变,增大背衬的机械损耗因子,换能器有效机电耦合系数单调减小,机械品质因数有极小值,在给定频率范围内电特性曲线趋于光滑。用有限元方法验证了等效电路计算方法的正确性,并对比了换能器的测试结果和计算结果。计算所得规律为厚度模压电换能器的设计和实验制作提供了理论依据。      

Definition and measurement of the normalized electrical impedance of lossy piezoelectric resonators for ultrasonic transducers

Relevant equivalent circuit parameters and values of material constants of a piezoelectric resonator can be determined from measurements of its electrical input impedance as a function of frequency. The complex electrical impedance curves and the associated critical frequencies are the basis of this characterization by the piezoelectric resonance method. In this paper, the previously introduced concept of normalized electrical impedance of the lossy resonator, extended to include piezoelectric losses, is applied to the analysis of the effects of different types of intrinsic losses on peak values, bandwidths and characteristic frequencies. The resulting impedance patterns depend solely on the electromechanical coupling coefficient and the loss tangents, providing a useful tool for the analysis of low-Q resonators. The normalized impedance is experimentally evaluated from the basic data provided by an HP 4194A impedance analyser by means of specifically developed ASP programs.     

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.     

Harmonic analysis of lossy, piezoelectric composite transducers using the plane wave expansion method

Periodic composite ultrasonic transducers offer many advantages but the periodic pillar architecture can give rise to unwanted modes of vibration which interfere with the piston like motion of the fundamental thickness mode. In this paper, viscoelastic loss is incorporated into a three-dimensional plane wave expansion model (PWE) of these transducers. A comparison with experimental and finite element data is conducted and a design to damp out these lateral modes is investigated. Scaling and regularisation techniques are introduced to the PWE method to reduce ill-conditioning in the large matrices which can arise. The identification of the modes of vibration is aided by examining profiles of the displacements, electrical potential and Poynting vector. The dispersive behaviour of a 2-2 composite transducer with high shear attenuation in the passive phase is examined. The model shows that the use of a high shear attenuation filler material improves the frequency band gap surrounding the fundamental thickness mode.     

空心聚合物微珠/环氧树脂复合材料匹配层空耦式压电换能器

研制了一种厚度模空耦式压电换能器,使用综合考虑材料衰减系数和声阻抗的空耦式压电换能器电力声等效电路理论模型以指导匹配层结构设计和材料选择,选用新型的空心聚合物微珠/环氧树脂复合材料作为声匹配材料,优化设计电阻抗匹配及结构参数。该换能器中心频率为510 kHz,-6 dB频域相对带宽为25.4%,插入损耗为-27 dB。结果表明,使用新型低衰减系数的闭孔复合材料单匹配层设计的该换能器不仅保证了高灵敏度,同时简化了换能器结构,为空耦式压电换能器研制提供了新思路。      

基于2-2型压电复合材料的新型宽频带径向振动超声换能器

本文提出了一种基于2-2型压电复合材料的新型宽频带径向振动超声换能器,它主要由内金属圆环和外压电陶瓷复合材料圆环组成.首先利用Newnham串并联理论和均匀场理论推导了2-2型压电复合材料的等效参数;其次利用解析法得到了金属圆环和径向极化压电复合陶瓷圆环径向振动的机电等效电路;最后得到了换能器的六端机电等效电路,从而得到了换能器的频率方程.接着分析了换能器共振频率和反共振频率以及有效机电耦合系数与几何尺寸、两相体积占比的关系,采用仿真软件对新型换能器的径向振动进行了数值模拟.结果表明,利用解析法得到的共振频率和反共振频率与数值模拟结果吻合较好.此外,对换能器在水下的辐射声场进行了仿真研究,结果表明新型复合材料径向换能器相比传统纯陶瓷径向换能器,发射电压响应幅值更大,工作带宽提高接近一倍,声匹配更佳.     

Analysis on vibration characteristics of large-size rectangular piezoelectric composite plate based on quasi-periodic phononic crystal structure

Based on the theory of composite materials and phononic crystals (PCs), a large-size rectangular piezoelectric composite plate with the quasi-periodic PC structure composed of PZT-4 and epoxy is proposed in this paper. This PC structure can suppress the transverse vibration of the piezoelectric composite plate so that the thickness mode is purer and the thickness vibration amplitude is more uniform. Firstly, the vibration of the model is analyzed theoretically, the electromechanical equivalent circuit diagram of three-dimensional coupled vibration is established, and the resonance frequency equation is derived. The effects of the length, width, and thickness of the piezoelectric composite plate at the resonant frequency are obtained by the analytical method and the finite element method, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient is also analyzed. The results show that the resonant frequency can be changed regularly and the electromechanical conversion can be improved by adjusting the size of the rectangular piezoelectric plate. The effect of the volume fraction of the scatterer on the resonant frequency in the thickness direction is studied by the finite element method. The band gap in X and Y directions of large-size rectangular piezoelectric plate with quasi-periodic PC structures are calculated. The results show that the theoretical results are in good agreement with the simulation results. When the resonance frequency is in the band gap, the decoupling phenomenon occurs, and then the vibration mode in the thickness direction is purer.     

Finite element modelling of piezolaminated smart structures for active vibration control with distributed sensors and actuators

Finite element modelling of laminated structures with distributed piezoelectric sensor and actuator layers and control electronics is considered in this paper. Beam, plate and shell type elements have been developed incorporating the stiffness, mass and electromechanical coupling effects of the piezoelectric laminates. The effects of temperature on the electrical and mechanical properties and the coupling between them are also taken into consideration in the finite element formulation. The piezoelectric beam element is based on Timoshenko beam theory. The plate/shell element is a nine-noded field-consistent element based on first order shear deformation theory. Constant-gain negative velocity feedback, Lyapunov feedback as well as a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) approach have been used for active vibration control with the structures subjected to impact, harmonic and random excitations. The influence of the pyroelectric effects on the vibration control performance is also investigated. The LQR approach is found to be more effective in vibration control with lesser peak voltages applied in the piezo actuator layers as in this case the control gains are obtained by minimizing a performance index. The application of these elements in high-performance, light-weight structural systems is highlighted.     

Mode analysis of trilaminar bender bar transducers using an approximation method

Based on the vibration theory of a thin plate, an analytical treatment of the trilaminar bender bar with piezoelectric elements and inert substrate of various lengths is presented for mode analysis. Resonance frequency and effective electromechanical coupling coefficient are calculated by this method. The impacts of the geometries of the bender bar on the performance of its fundamental and third-order flexural mode are investigated in detail under rigid boundary conditions. It is shown that resonance frequency is extremely sensitive to the thickness of inert substrate. Moreover, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient has peaks as the length of piezoelectric elements varies. The peaks are achieved when the length of piezoelectric elements equals the length between two nodes having zero strains in the x-direction. The trilaminar bender bar will be effectively excited when the strains on the piezoelectric element are in the same phase, which is important to disclose the vibration mechanisms of this kind of transducer. Also, analytical results are compared with the ones of numerical simulation. The results suggest that effective electromechanical coupling coefficient shares similar patterns with electrical conductance, which can be used to characterize transducer performance to a certain extent. It also demonstrates that the analytical treatment provides an efficient alternative way for optimizing the bender bar transducer design.     

Investigations of thickness-shear mode elastic constant and damping of shunted piezoelectric materials with a coupling resonator

Shear-mode piezoelectric materials have been widely used to shunt the damping of vibrations where utilizing surface or interface shear stresses. The thick-shear mode(TSM) elastic constant and the mechanical loss factor can change correspondingly when piezoelectric materials are shunted to different electrical circuits. This phenomenon makes it possible to control the performance of a shear-mode piezoelectric damping system through designing the shunt circuit. However, due to the difficulties in directly measuring the TSM elastic constant and the mechanical loss factor of piezoelectric materials, the relationships between those parameters and the shunt circuits have rarely been investigated. In this paper, a coupling TSM electro–mechanical resonant system is proposed to indirectly measure the variations of the TSM elastic constant and the mechanical loss factor of piezoelectric materials. The main idea is to transform the variations of the TSM elastic constant and the mechanical loss factor into the changes of the easily observed resonant frequency and electrical quality factor of the coupling electro–mechanical resonator. Based on this model, the formular relationships are set up theoretically with Mason equivalent circuit method and they are validated with finite element(FE) analyses. Finally, a prototype of the coupling electro–mechanical resonator is fabricated with two shear-mode PZT5 A plates to investigate the TSM elastic constants and the mechanical loss factors of different circuit-shunted cases of the piezoelectric plate. Both the resonant frequency shifts and the bandwidth changes observed in experiments are in good consistence with the theoretical and FE analyses under the same shunt conditions. The proposed coupling resonator and the obtained relationships are validated with but not limited to PZT5 A.     

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。      

A multiple degree of freedom electromechanical Helmholtz resonator

The development of a tunable, multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) electromechanical Helmholtz resonator (EMHR) is presented. An EMHR consists of an orifice, backing cavity, and a compliant piezoelectric composite diaphragm. Electromechanical tuning of the acoustic impedance is achieved via passive electrical networks shunted across the piezoceramic. For resistive and capacitive loads, the EMHR is a 2DOF system possessing one acoustic and one mechanical DOF. When inductive ladder networks are employed, multiple electrical DOF are added. The dynamics of the multi-energy domain system are modeled using lumped elements and are represented in an equivalent electrical circuit, which is used to analyze the tunable acoustic input impedance of the EMHR. The two-microphone method is used to measure the acoustic impedance of two EMHR designs with a variety of resistive, capacitive, and inductive shunts. For the first design, the data demonstrate that the tuning range of the second resonant frequency for an EMHR with non-inductive shunts is limited by short- and open-circuit conditions, while an inductive shunt results in a 3DOF system possessing an enhanced tuning range. The second design achieves stronger coupling between the Helmholtz resonator and the piezoelectric backplate, and both resonant frequencies can be tuned with different non-inductive loads.     

Melnikov theoretic methods for characterizing the dynamics of the bistable piezoelectric inertial generator in complex spectral environments

Piezoelectric energy harvesters exploiting strong mechanical nonlinearities exhibit intrinsic suitability for one of several modern challenges in vibratory energy harvesting: consistent kinetic performance in the presence of broadband environmental excitation. In particular, the bistable piezoelectric generator has been prolifically examined. However, most of the relevant literature relies on numerical simulation of specific experimental realizations to demonstrate superior performance. Due to the complexities and lack of analytical solutions for such designs, streamlined methods for parameter optimization,potential well shaping, optimal electromechanical coupling considerations, and other design methodologies are thus inhibited. To facilitate future innovation and research, this paper employs techniques from chaotic dynamical systems theory to provide a simplified analytical framework such that deeper insight into the performance of the bistable piezoelectric inertial generator may be obtained. Specifically, Melnikov theory is investigated to provide metrics for which homoclinic bifurcation may occur in the presence of harmonic, multi-frequency, and broadband excitation. The analysis maintains full consideration of the electromechanical coupling and electrical impedance effects and predicts that for range of dimensionless electrical impedance values, the threshold for chaotic motion and other high-energy solutions is significantly influenced.     

Electromechanical properties and defect chemistry of high-temperature piezoelectric materials

Langasite and gallium phosphate are shown to exhibit piezoelectrically stimulated bulk acoustic waves up to at least 1,400 and 900 °C, respectively. Most critical issues are stoichiometry changes due to, e.g. low oxygen partial pressures, and high losses. Therefore, the paper discusses the atomistic transport and defect chemistry of those crystals and correlates them with the electromechanical properties. First, the defect chemistry of langasite is investigated. As long as the atmosphere is nearly hydrogen-free, the transport of charge carriers is governed by oxygen movement. A dominant role of hydrogen is observed in hydrogenous atmospheres. Based on the developed defect model, donors are expected to suppress the oxygen vacancy concentration and, thereby, the loss in langasite. The prediction is proven by niobium doping and found to be valid. A one-dimensional physical model of thickness shear mode resonators is summarized. The analysis of the resonance spectra showed that the loss of the resonators can be described satisfactorily by mechanical and electrical contributions expressed as effective viscosity and bulk conductivity, respectively. The mechanical loss in langasite is significantly impacted by the electrical conductivity due to the piezoelectric coupling. The effect of the piezoelectric coupling on the loss is negligible for gallium phosphate since it shows an extremely low electrical conductivity.     

一种高灵敏压电平面水声换能器

设计并制作了一种高灵敏压电平面水声换能器。该换能器敏感元件是对1-3-2型压电复合材料结构的改进,即在带基底的压电陶瓷小柱阵列间不注入聚合物,并在其上表面直接覆盖金属板,构成“带基底的压电小柱阵列+金属盖板”结构敏感元件(称为“空气填充型”敏感元件)。对“空气填充型”敏感元件的谐振频率进行了理论计算和有限元仿真,与实测结果较吻合。为便于对比性能,同时制作了同尺寸“1-3-2型压电复合材料+金属盖板”结构敏感元件(称为“聚合物填充型”敏感元件)换能器。分别对“空气填充型”和“聚合物填充型”敏感元件换能器的有效机电耦合系数、发送电压响应和接收灵敏度进行有限元仿真和实测,结果均显示,“空气填充型”敏感元件换能器具有较高的接收灵敏度,相较于“聚合物填充型”敏感元件换能器可提高21 dB。该敏感元件换能器能有效提高灵敏度,可为研制高灵敏换能器提供参考。      

Vibration characteristics of a piezoelectric open-shell transducer

This paper deals with the vibration characteristics of a piezoelectric open-shell transducer which was made by dividing a cylindrical piezoelectric transducer longitudinally into two segments. Two-dimensional governing equations were derived by using the cylindrical membrane theory. Applying mechanical and electrical boundary conditions yielded a characteristic equation for the resonance frequencies of the piezoelectric open-shell transducer. The fundamental frequency and the electromechanical coupling factor were calculated and compared with the results of the finite element analysis and experiment. The fundamental mode shape obtained theoretically was compared with the result of the finite element analysis. The theoretical analysis was verified to provide the vibration characteristics of an open-shell transducer.     

Design and modeling of inversion layer ultrasonic transducers using LiNbO3 single crystal

Using inversion domain engineering controlled by heating temperature, the LiNbO(3) (LNO) piezoelectric plate with both odd and even-order thickness-extensional modes can be excited simultaneously. Therefore, the inversion layer ultrasound transducer is expected to be capable of operating over a wider frequency range. In this paper, the electrical impedance and the acoustic characteristics of LiNbO(3) (LNO) inversion layer transducer have been studied by finite element modeling (FEM). The transducer designed for this study uses a 36 degrees rotated Y-cut LiNbO(3) thin plate with an active element thickness of approximately 100 microm. First the electrical and elastic properties of the 36 degrees rotated Y-cut LNO were obtained by transforming a basic piezoelectric matrix for Z-cut LNO. In order to validate the FEM using the transformed properties several pieces of pure and 50% inversion layer LNO were tested on the electrical impedance analyzer. The modeled impedance characteristics were consistent with the measured data. Next the model was used to design 50-60 MHz transducers using pure and 30% inversion LNO. Two lambda/4 matching layers and a Tungsten loaded epoxy backing were used in these designs. The modeled results show that an over 90% bandwidth transducer can be made with proper matching and 30% inversion layer.     

Optimization of the performance of the sandwich piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer

The resonance and antiresonance frequency, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient, and the mechanical quality factor of a sandwich piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer are studied and optimized. The effect of the thickness of thick piezoelectric element electrodes on the transducer performance is analyzed. The effect of the length and position of the piezoelectric elements in the transducer is also studied. It is shown that, although using thick electrodes is beneficial for releasing heat produced by the piezoelectric elements, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient and the mechanical quality factor are reduced. The length and the position of the piezoelectric elements affect the performances of the transducer. Increasing the length of the piezoelectric elements decreases the mechanical quality factor, but the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient increases. When the length reaches a certain value, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient reaches a maximum value. When the piezoelectric elements are located at the geometrical center or the displacement node, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient and the mechanical quality factor are maximized.     

Shear-horizontal acoustic wave propagation in piezoelectric bounded plates with metal gratings

In this paper, shear-horizontal (SH) acoustic wave propagation in metal gratings deposited on piezoelectric bounded plates is investigated. The spectral characteristics of the electromechanical coupling coefficient are studied first, which are very important for acoustic wave device designs. And, an effective mathematic method based on even- and odd base functions is also presented for overcoming the large frequency thickness product problem. Then, the characteristics of the grating modes are studied, and the nature and characteristics of the stop bands are investigated fully. The results show that the width and attenuation of the stop bands are dominated by the electromechanical coupling coefficient at the frequency centers of the stop bands.