Some power ultrasonic transducers, such as Tonpilz transducers, require high-power transmitting capability as well as broadband performance. Optimized vibrational modes can achieve these requirements. This work compares the resonant characteristics and the surface vibration modes between a homogeneous piezoelectric ring and a 1-3 piezocomposite ring, both used in power ultrasonic transducers. This is the first step in the design of power transducers. Analytical models and finite element results are validated by electrical impedance measurements and the surface acoustic spectroscopy method. Excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental results was obtained. Results show that using piezocomposite ceramics minimize superposition of undesirable modes and increase the bandwidth, as shown in sonograms.
transducer characterization; piezocomposite; underwater acoustic
