Sensitivity Characteristics of Acoustic Emission (AE) Sensor Using Thickness-Shear-Mode Piezoelectric Device

In this study, Acoustic Emission (AE) sensor was fabricated with the rectangular type Pb(Mg1/2W1/2) O-3- Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3) O3- Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5) O-3 (abbreviated as PMW- PNN- PZT) ceramic piezoelectric device using thickness shear mode. From the results of ATILA simulation, the specimen with the size of 8x6x8 mm(3) was determined as the experimental piezoelectric device which shows the excellent thickness shear mode. Electromechanical coupling factor kp, piezoelectric constant d(33) and g(33) of PMW- PNN- PZT ceramics showed the excellent values of 0.63, 573 [pC/N], and 29.81 [10(-3)V . m/N], respectively, suitable for AE sensor device application. Thickness shear mode electromechanical coupling factor k15 was 0.61 at the specimen with the size of 8 x 6 x8 mm(3). The peak sensitivity of AE sensor using this thickness- shear- mode piezoelectric device showed 79 [dB] at 29.4 [kHz].