利用互易性电路设计降低超声流量测量的零点误差和温度漂移

超声流量测量系统中,严重影响时间差检测的准确度和稳定性的“零点误差”和“温度漂移”问题可以通过对测量系统互易性的改善加以改进。本文通过对测量系统等效电路模型的分析阐述了系统互易的成立条件,并提出了一种通过对激励和接收电路等效阻抗进行对称性设计提高测量系统互易性的测量电路。这一电路设计易于在仪表中实现,其中换能器的负载阻抗能够根据需要灵活设定。在实际测量管道上进行的实验证明,使用这样的电路设计进行流量测量,能够大幅降低零点误差并抑制温度漂移,使得流量测量结果更加准确稳定。      

聚焦换能器自由场互易校准的冲击响应积分法衍射系数计算

在聚焦换能器的会聚球面波自由场互易校准法中，衍射损失修正系数是获得互易常数的一个关键参数。本文利用冲击响应函数积分法系统地计算了超声治疗头、机械扫描B超探头以及多普勒诊断探头的衍射损失系数，得出了一些典型参数下的计算曲线，可供不同类型的聚焦换能器会聚球面波互易校准时引用。与传统的瑞利积分法分析比较显示，本文中所采用的冲击响应函数积分法显著地提高了运算速度，同时基本保持了与瑞利积分算法计算结果的一致性。     

Detection and location of cracks using loss of reciprocity in ultrasonic waves propagation

The reciprocity theorem is a general statement valid for elastic media, and it has been applied to the solution of elastic wave equations, transducers calibration, time reversal acoustics, etc. However, localized nonlinear scatterers are expected to break reciprocity even though the effect is, in several cases, negligible. Here the dependence of the reciprocity break on the presence of a localized damage and the influence of its relative position has been experimentally investigated. It will be shown that the break of reciprocity, usually considered a disadvantage, can be exploited as an imaging tool for localized cracks detection.     

Transmission circuits for thick-transducer ultrasound transmission test systems

Pulse techniques for the measurement of ultrasonic absorption over a wide frequency bandwidth are limited by the narrow band nature of conventional piezoelectric transducers. This problem can be overcome if the piezoelectric devices are operated as thick elements. In this paper the insertion characteristics of transducers operating in this mode are determined. The compromise between system sensitivity, bandwidth and noise generation in receiving circuits is examined.It is shown that high voltage generators with rise times of a few nanoseconds are required to drive thick transmission transducers. The design of suitable generators, based on avalanche operation of one or more bipolar transistors is described in detail. It is concluded that exciting signals of sufficient amplitude and short enough rise-time could be generated for absorption measurements to be made over at least two decades of frequency with a dynamic range of 100 dB without a change of transducer.     

Reduction of the error of hydrophone calibration with respect to the field in a hydroacoustic tank by the reciprocity method

A hydrophone calibration procedure that considerably reduces the error caused by the acoustic field distortions in a hydroacoustic tank is proposed. The procedure is based on the definition of the reduced electric transfer impedances of transducers (i.e., the electric transfer impedances reduced to the spherical wave propagation law) and consists in measuring the electric transfer impedances for different distances between hydroacoustic transducers. The sensitivity of the hydrophone under calibration is calculated from the far-field values of the reduced electric transfer impedances. The latter are determined using a mathematical model of the hydrophone in the form of a system that contains a point sensing element and a finite number of point sources of acoustic signals (point reflectors). A method of determining the number and coordinates of the point reflectors from the analysis of the acoustic “images” of the hydrophone’s reflecting surface is proposed. The measuring technique, the algorithms of mathematical processing, and the results of experimental studies are considered. A comparative analysis of the results of the hydrophone calibration with respect to the field by the reciprocity method is performed for the cases of using the conventional technique and the proposed method.     

Ultrasonic flowmeters: temperature gradients and transducer geometry effects

Ultrasonic flowmeter performance is addressed for the case of cylindrically shaped flowmeters employing two reciprocal ultrasonic transducers A and B so as to measure time-of-flight differences between signals transmitted from transducer A towards B followed by an equivalent signal transmitted from transducer B towards A. In the case where a liquid flows through the flowmeter's measuring section ("spoolpiece"), the arrival times of the two signals differ by an amount related to the flow passing between the two transducers. Firstly, a detailed study of flow measurement errors with mean flow in the laminar flow regime is carried out as a function of the mode index and the transducer diameter/cylinder diameter ratio in the case where no temperature gradients are present in the flowmeter sensor. It is shown that all modes except the fundamental mode overestimate the mean flow by a factor of 33.33% while excitation of the fundamental mode solely give error-free measurements. The immediate consequences are that the flowmeter error decreases as the transducer diameter/cylinder diameter ratio approaches 1 from 0 reflecting the fact that the excitation level of the fundamental mode increases from almost 0 to 1 as this ratio approaches 1 from 0. Secondly, the effect on flowmeter performance due to flow-induced temperature gradients is examined. It is shown that the presence of temperature gradients leads to flowmeter errors at the higher-flow values even in the case where the fundamental mode is the only mode excited. It is also deduced that flowmeter errors in general depend on the distance between transducers A and B whether temperature gradients exist or not. This conclusion is not reflected in the usual definition of flowmeter errors given by the so-called mode-dependent deviation of measurement introduced in earlier works.     

Optimum tuning of series and parallel LR circuits for passive vibration suppression using piezoelectric elements

Bending vibration of flexible structures can be suppressed passively using piezoelectric electromechanical transducers and optimally tuned LR circuits. Since these systems include both mechanical and electrical elements, the governing equations consist of electrically coupled equations of motion. This paper describes a new method for deriving the governing equations that describe a system’s vibration suppression based on the equilibrium of force principle and using an equivalent mechanical model of a piezoelectric element. Both series and parallel LR circuits are considered in the modeling approach. The optimum values for a mechanical vibration absorber can be formulated by using the two fixed points method. However, exact optimal values for the resistances of the LR circuits have not been formulated in the research literature thus far, and approximate values have been used. Analytical formulations are derived in this paper, and optimum values of the LR circuits are presented, not only in displacement, but also in terms of velocity and acceleration. The effects of the stiffness of the adhesive bond between the host structure and piezoelectric element, the dielectric loss in a piezoelectric element, and the internal resistance of an inductor are considered in the theoretical analysis. The effectiveness of the described analytical method is validated through simulations and experiments.     

A modal test method using sound pressure transducers based on vibro-acoustic reciprocity

A modal test method that uses sound pressure transducers at fixed locations and an impact hammer roving over a test structure is developed in this work. Since sound pressure transducers are used, the current method deals with a coupled structural–acoustic system. Based on the vibro-acoustic reciprocity, the method is equivalent to one, where acoustic excitations at fixed locations are given and the resulting acceleration of the test structure is measured. The current method can eliminate mass loading due to use of accelerometers, which can destroy existence of repeated or close natural frequencies of a symmetric structure. It can also avoid effects of a nodal line of a mode and an inactive area of a local mode, and measure all the out-of-plane modes within a frequency range of interest, including global and local ones. The coupling between the structure and the acoustic field in a structural–acoustic system introduces asymmetry in the model formulation. An equivalent state space formulation is used for a damped structural–acoustic system and the associated eigenvalue problem is derived. The biorthonormality relations between the left and right eigenvectors and the relations between the structural and acoustic components in the left and right eigenvectors are proved. The frequency response functions associated with the current method are derived and their physical meanings are explained. The guidelines for using the current method, including the types of structures that are suitable for the method, the positions of the sound pressure transducers, and the orientation of the test structure relative to the transducers, are provided. Modal tests were carried out on an automotive disk brake using the traditional and current methods, where multiple accelerometers and microphones were used to measure its dynamic responses induced by impacts, respectively. The differences between the measured natural frequencies using the current method and those from the finite element model of the disk brake are less than 3 percent for the first 18 elastic modes, and the modal assurance criterion values of the associated mode shapes are all above 90 percent. The current method was also used to measure the natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes of a light circuit board.     

压电换能器阻抗匹配技术研究

超声测距传感器是由压电换能器及其收、发电路所组成的，其中压电换能器的阻抗特性直接影响着超声测距传感器的性能。为提高超声波回波信号的强度，扩大超声测距传感器的作用距离，对压电换能器的阻抗特性进行了分析与测试，设计了压电换能器的阻抗匹配电路，并进行了实验验证。     

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.     

Weak localization and time reversal of ultrasound in a rotational flow

A one-channel time-reversal (TR) experiment is performed inside a rough reverberating cavity in the presence of a rotational flow. The amplitude of the TR wave is plotted versus the distance between the TR channel and the initial source: when they coincide, it exhibits a "time-reversal enhancement" (TRE). With no flow, the TRE is the same as the coherent backscattering enhancement (CBE). But contrary to CBE, the TRE peak is shown to be insensitive to the breaking down of reciprocity due to the flow. This new effect of weak localization is sustained by a diagrammatic approach.     

Optimization of the piezoelectric transducer response by means of electrical correcting circuits

A method of shortening the transient response of a piezoelectric transducer is described. It can be applied to thickness mode piezoelectric transducers of arbitrary electromechanical coupling. The system incorporates electrical correcting circuits and can produce a transient response with a duration much shorter than the transit time of an ultrasonic wave travelling through the piezoelectric plate.     

Investigation of Bubbly Flow by Ultrasonic Tomography

Computerized tomography (CT) means reconstruction of pictures from projections taken at different angles. This method is well known in fields such as medical diagnostics and nondestructive testing. The application of CT to gas/liquid flow measurement results in a non-intrusive method for measuring the spatial distribution of the gas phase in a cross-section of the flow. In our application the projection data are obtained from measurement of the extinction along a set of ultrasonic rays in this cross-section, using piezo-ceramic ultrasonic transducers. The transducers are arranged in a circular sensor array which is directly integrated in the pipe wall of the flow; instead of mechanical rotation, the sensors are sequentially switched.     

Study on the radial composite piezoelectric ceramic transducer in radial vibration

A new type of radial composite piezoelectric transducer in radial vibration is developed and analyzed. The radial composite transducer consists of a piezoelectric ceramic thin ring polarized in the thickness direction and a metal thin circular ring. They are connected together and excited to vibrate in the radial direction. The radial vibrations of a piezoelectric ceramic thin ring and a metal thin circular ring are analyzed, respectively. Their radial electro-mechanical equivalent circuits are obtained. Based on the electro-mechanical equivalent circuits and using the boundary conditions between the piezoelectric ceramic thin ring and the metal thin circular ring in the radial direction, the electro-mechanical equivalent circuit of the radial composite piezoelectric transducer is derived out and the resonance frequency equation is obtained. The relationship between the resonance frequency and the geometrical dimensions of the transducer is analyzed. Some radial composite piezoelectric transducers are designed and manufactured. The resonance frequencies and the anti-resonance frequencies, the electro-mechanical equivalent circuit parameters are measured. The effective electro-mechanical coupling coefficient and the mechanical quality factor are calculated. It is illustrated that the measured radial resonance frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical results from the resonance frequency equation.     

A new method of ultrasound color flow mapping

Conventional ultrasound color flow mapping systems estimate and visualize only the axial velocity component. To obtain the transverse velocity component a modification of a multiple-beam method is proposed. The new two-dimensional color flow mapping system has a small size and consists of three transducers. The central transducer is an appodized and focused phased array. The other transducers are unfocused probes. Three transducers act as receivers and the central transducer operates as a transmitter. All receivers acquire rf scan lines that are then processed to estimate three axial velocity components using an autocorrelation method. These estimates are then combined to estimate the transverse velocity component, taking into account the geometric relationships among three transducers. Two algorithms for transverse velocity estimation are proposed. The first uses the Doppler angle estimate for calculation of the transverse velocity component. The other algorithm calculates the transverse velocity component directly from the axial components. The accuracy of the flow velocity estimators is estimated by simulations. Analysis of accuracy allows choosing the more effective algorithm for two-dimensional velocity estimation, which is insensitive to variations of the Doppler angle.     

Modelling nonlinearity in piezoceramic transducers: From equations to nonlinear equivalent circuits

Quadratic nonlinear equations of a piezoelectric element under the assumptions of 1D vibration and weak nonlinearity are derived by the perturbation theory. It is shown that the nonlinear response can be represented by controlled sources that are added to the classical hexapole used to model piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers. As a consequence, equivalent electrical circuits can be used to predict the nonlinear response of a transducer taking into account the acoustic loads on the rear and front faces. A generalisation of nonlinear equivalent electrical circuits to cases including passive layers and propagation media is then proposed. Experimental results, in terms of second harmonic generation, on a coupled resonator are compared to theoretical calculations from the proposed model.     

基于声压场描述的扩散声场多自由度互易原理研究

应用于复杂结构中频声振分析的扩散场多自由度互易原理采用位移变量描述系统,实质为弹性波场互易原理,应用于声波场时会造成模型自由度数不必要的增加。建立基于声压描述的扩散声场受挡模型,利用声辐射模态描述扩散声场中结构的表面受挡声压;据此提出基于声压描述的扩散声场多自由度互易原理,发现扩散声场中结构表面受挡声压的互谱矩阵与该结构在自由空间中振动辐射声波的声阻矩阵成正比。该互易原理与传统的单自由度互易原理表达形式相似,但适用于任意自由度结构。该互易原理可用于扩散声场中复杂结构的表面受挡声压的自谱及相关分析,仿真研究表明当边界元网格尺寸小于声波波长的1/6(线性单元)或1/3(二次单元)时,数值解与理论解完全吻合。      

Computer models of hearing aid transducers for integrated circuit design.

Electronic circuit modeling using computer-based simulation tools is well established and device models are available for common electronic components. However, acoustic models of audio transducers for use during integrated circuit design are not readily available. This causes difficulty for designers of audio amplifiers, and increases the uncertainties of a successful silicon integration of a circuit design. This paper reports on a technique for the creation of electroacoustic models of hearing aid microphones and receivers that can be connected to an amplifier under design, and incorporated into PSPICE simulations. Verification of the technique and models was performed by comparing measured frequency response data with graphs created by PSPICE modeling. The conclusions were that the method developed for creating these models, and the models themselves, were accurate enough to be used for acoustic simulations of frequency response performance during amplifier design, and gave results comparable to data obtained from breadboard measurements of the same circuits.     

A modified electro-acoustical reciprocity method for measuring low-frequency sound source in arbitrary surroundings

The reciprocity principle provides a possible means of measuring the low-frequency volume velocity of a sound source in arbitrary surroundings; however, the auxiliary transducer in the reciprocity experiment is required to be absolutely reciprocal, which means that the radiation property and the receiving property of the transducer are identical. However, it is not always easy to obtain such a low-frequency reciprocal transducer, because some issues like nonlinearity would lead the transducer to be non-reciprocal. In this study, a modified method is proposed to conduct the reciprocity measurement using an ordinary loudspeaker instead of a strictly reciprocal one as the auxiliary transducer. Firstly, the relationship is established between the measurement error and the inconsistency of auxiliary loudspeaker’s radiation property and receiving property. Furthermore, a modified reciprocity method is proposed to compensate the inconsistency. Finally, experiments are carried out with the modified reciprocity method in both an anechoic room and a reverberation room with two different auxiliary loudspeakers. The experimental results of the modified reciprocity method agree with the results obtained with the free field method very well.     

Self-noise of molecular electronic transducers

The effect of hydrodynamic fluctuations on noise in molecular electronic transducers is studied. It is shown that turbulent pulsation also makes a considerable contribution to the self-noise of molecular elec-tronic transformers, along with laminar flow fluctuations. A method for qualitative and quantitative calculation of the noise induced by turbulent pulsation that arises when a liquid flows along the electrode surface is proposed. A quantitative relationship that relates the rms pressure pulsation to the liquid head and an expression for the total spectral density of the hydrodynamic noise in molecular electronic transducers are obtained.