Underwater flextensional piezoceramic sandwich transducer

This paper presents theoretical and experimental research for the design and manufacture of an underwater flextensional piezoceramic sandwich transducer (FPST) for applications in underwater acoustics transmission at long distances. The emitting transducer can generate an ultrasonic field into the water medium. The active element of the high-power ultrasonic piezoceramic transducer is a stack realized with piezoceramic tores and metallic cylinders. This electromechanical transducer works on the basis of the inverse piezoelectric effect, converting electrical power into a mechanical displacement in the range of tens of microns. The experimental underwater flextensional piezoceramic sandwich transducer has a low resonance frequency (14 kHz), small dimensions and emits omnidirectional acoustic radiating patterns in the transversal plane. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.