Investigations on Advanced Piezoelectric Two-Stage Amplification Acoustic Transducers
Abstract
Today, major U.S. Navy sonar/transducers are built on piezoelectric materials because piezoelectric sonar/transducers are more sensitive and energy efficient, and easy to be fabricated to various shapes for specific applications and have lower cost. Piezoelectric flextensional transducers have been developed because this kind of mechanism is a way to balance the level of pressure/force with deformation/sensitivity of a transducer to increase energy density, sensitivity, and efficiency. The PI of this proposed project has invented a piezoelectric two-stage amplification transducer (P2SAT) which has more than one order of magnitude higher energy density than a conventional flextensional transducer, either for actuator or energy harvesting applications. This indicates that the P2SATs may also have over one order of magnitude higher energy density for underwater transducer applications. However, many fundamental issues need to be addressed to adapt P2SATs to Navy sonar/transducers applications. In this proposed study, we will address fundamental issues, such as resonance frequency, mechanical quality factor, characteristic mechanical and electrical impedance, electromechanical coupling coefficient, etc., for acoustic transducers. The major questions to be answered are i) how the resonance frequency of the P2SAT depends on its materials, geometries and parameters; ii) how the mechanical quality factor is effected by materials, geometries and parameters; iii) how the mechanical and electrical impedances are effected by the geometries and parameters, iv) how the electromechanical coupling coefficient is related to the material components; v) how the natural frequency shifts from air to water; and vi) what are the source level, transmitting voltage response, and Free-Field Voltage Sensitivity in air and underwater and how can these be controlled by optimization designs. Comprehensive theoretical and experimental study methods will be conducted in this project to create new knowledge and develop new methods for the fundamental studies. The project outcomes will include gaining new knowledge on advanced piezoelectric transducers and educating the next generation of graduate and undergraduate students, with a focus on students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 26, 2023
- Source ID
- W911NF2310177
Entities
People
- Tian-bing Xu
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Old Dominion University