Evaluation of the mechanical quality factor under high power conditions in piezoelectric ceramics from electrical power

The main methods used to measure the mechanical quality factor in piezoelectric ceramics under high power resonance conditions are the electrical impedance method and the transient method. These methods are limited in their ability to provide relevant data from an application perspective because of the conditions under which the measurements must occur. In this research, a unique approach for characterizing the mechanical quality factor in piezoelectric materials has been developed. This method allows for the calculation of the quality factor from data at a single frequency, which is not possible with other methods. This technique has been applied to a hard PZT material for vibration conditions ranging from antiresonance to resonance at a vibration velocity of 100 mm/s RMS. Results from the quality factor measurement from impedance data and from the new method have a deviation of <2% at resonance, proving the validity of the new electrical power method. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.