Modelling of piezoelectrically actuated bistable composites

Bistable asymmetric composites with piezoelectric actuators that induce ‘snap-through’ from one stable state to another are candidate smart materials for shape-change (morphing) applications. This paper combines a homogenised piezoelectric model of a Macro Fibre Composite with a bistable asymmetric laminate model. Both predicted shape and snap-through voltage of a piezo-actuated [0/90]_T laminate compare favourably with experimental results.     

Modeling and characterization of piezoelectrically actuated bistable composites

This paper develops and validates a finite-element model to predict both the cured shape and snap-through of asymmetric bistable laminates actuated by piezoelectric macro fiber composites attached to the laminate. To fully describe piezoelectric actuation, the three-dimensional compliance [s(ij)], piezoelectric [d(ij)], and relative permittivity [ε(ij)] matrices were formulated for the macro fiber actuator. The deflection of an actuated isotropic aluminum beam was then modeled and compared with experimental measurements to validate the data. The model was then extended to bistable laminates actuated using macro fiber composites. Model results were compared with experimental measurements of laminate profile (shape) and snap-through voltage. The modeling approach is an important intermediate step toward enabling design of shape-changing structures based on bistable laminates.     

用于超声清洗复合振动换能器的研究

本文研究了一种由纵向振动夹心式压电超声换能器与弯曲圆盘组成的用于液体中超声处理的复合振动辐射器。推出了恢复合振动系统的共振频率设计方程，分析了各个振动模式的机电转换特性及其声波辐射特性，测量了振动系统的共振频率及其有效机电耦合系数。从实验及理论结果可以看出，振动系统的频率测试值与设计值基本符合。在一定的共振频率上，该振动系统具有最大的有效机电耦合系数，是一种很有前途的功率超声辐射器。     

双迭片压电振子的振动研究

利用压电方程和小挠度弯振理论,推导了边界自由压电陶瓷双迭片薄板小挠度条件下弯曲振动位移的一般解及振型频率方程。由频率方程计算得到的各阶振型频率与用有限元方法计算的结果基本相符,并基本得到实验结果的验证。所得结论对边界自由双迭片压电振子弯曲振动的设计提供了理论参考。     

Vibration analysis of parabolic shear-deformable piezoelectrically actuated nanoscale beams incorporating thermal effects

Thermoelectric-mechanical vibration behavior of functionally graded piezoelectric (FGP) nanobeams is first investigated in this article, based on the nonlocal theory and third-order parabolic beam theory by presenting a Navier-type solution. Electro-thermo-mechanical properties of a nanobeam are supposed to change continuously throughout the thickness based on the power-law model. To capture the small-size effects, Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory is adopted. Using Hamilton's principle, the nonlocal governing equations for the third-order, shear deformable, piezoelectric, FG nanobeams are obtained and they are solved applying an analytical solution. By presenting some numerical results, it is demonstrated that the suggested model presents accurate frequency results of FGP nanobeams. The influences of several parameters, including external electric voltage, power-law exponent, nonlocal parameter, and mode number on the natural frequencies of the size-dependent FGP nanobeams are discussed in detail. The results should be relevant to the design and application of the piezoelectric nanodevices.     

Development and characterization of piezoelectrically actuated corner cube retroreflectors for applications in free-space optical sensor network

In this paper, we report the development of an optical sensor network (OSN) based on piezoelectrically actuated corner cube retroreflectors (PA-CCRs). PA-CCRs were fabricated by microelectromechanical systems processes and assembled by aligning horizontally actuated mirrors and vertical side walls in a holder, which allows mass production. Fabricated PA-CCRs showed a tilting angle by more than 1.5 deg at 5 V bias voltage. A 3 dB cutoff frequency was measured to be in the range of 3.5 kHz. To show the feasilbility, an OSN was established based on fabricated PA-CCRs for on-off keying passive transmission links. The results demonstrated data transmission at a rate up to 5 kb/s.     

Optoelectronic transmitters for medical ultrasound transducers

Optoelectronics and fiber optics can be used to miniaturize and improve the flexibility of the transducer cable and transducer handle of medical diagnostic ultrasound scanners. The reduction in size has gained importance as 2-D array transducers with up to 1000 independent channels become accepted to improve diagnostic ultrasound images. The authors describe the analysis, design, fabrication and testing of a prototype silicon photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS). The monolithic silicon PCSS was used in combination with an infrared semiconductor diode laser with a fiber optic “pigtail” to shock excite and burst excite a 2-D array transducer element resonant at 2.5 MHz. Optically controlled voltage, current, and ultrasound pulses are compared to those from conventional electronic shock excitation and narrow band Doppler pulses. The optically triggered ultrasound pulse for single shock excitation produced 30 V spikes at the 2-D array element with a fall time of 200 nsec and a rise time of 2 μsec with a peak current through the transducer element of 34 mA. An optically produced burst of eight pulses at a frequency of 2.5 MHz produced 11 V spikes at the transducer with a fall time under 100 nsec and a rise time of approximately 300 nsec. The peak current per pulse was 25 mA through the transducer element. These results show the feasibility of applying optoelectronic technology to replace conventional electronic transmitter technology     

Piezoelectric ceramic rectangular transducers in flexural vibration

Based on the equivalent elastic method and coupled vibration theory, an analytic method is presented to study the flexural vibration of rectangular transducers consisting of piezoelectric ceramic thin plates. By introducing a mechanical coupling coefficient, the flexural vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic rectangular thin plate is reduced to two simple, one-dimensional flexural vibrations of narrow piezoelectric ceramic strips. The resonance frequency equations for the piezoelectric ceramic rectangular thin-plate transducers in flexural vibration are derived under the free and simply supported boundary conditions analytically. The relationship between the resonance frequency and the flexural vibrational order, the geometrical shape, and the dimensions of the piezoelectric ceramic rectangular thin-plate transducer is analyzed. It is demonstrated that the one-dimensional vibrational theory for the flexural vibration of a narrow piezoelectric ceramic strip and the stripe-mode flexural vibrational theory for the piezoelectric ceramic rectangular thin plate can be derived directly from the theory obtained in this paper. Experimental results show that the measured resonance frequencies of the piezoelectric ceramic rectangular thin-plate transducers in flexural vibration under free-boundary conditions are in good agreement with the calculated results. The method presented in this paper can be used in the resonance frequency analysis of vibrating systems in coupled vibration.     

Design considerations for piezoelectric polymer ultrasound transducers

Much work has been published on the design of ultrasound transducers using piezoelectric ceramics, but a great deal of this work does not apply when using the piezoelectric polymers because of their unique electrical and mechanical properties. The purpose of this paper is to review and present new insight into seven important considerations for the design of active piezoelectric polymer ultrasound transducers: piezoelectric polymer materials selection, transducer construction and packaging requirements, materials characterization and modeling, film thickness and active area design, electroding selection, backing material design, and front protection/matching layer design. Besides reviewing these design considerations, this paper also presents new insight into the design of active piezoelectric polymer ultrasonic transducers. The design and fabrication of an immersible ultrasonic transducer, which has no adhesive layer between the active element and backing layer, is included. The transducer features direct deposition of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymer onto an insulated aluminum backing substrate. Pulse-echo tests indicated a minimum insertion loss of 37 dB and -6 dB bandwidth of 9.8 to 22 MHz (71%). The use of polymer wear-protection/quarter-wave matching layers is also discussed. Test results on a P(VDF-TrFE) transducer showed that a Mylar/sup TM/ front layer provided a slight increase in pulse-echo amplitude of 15% (or 1.2 dB) and an increase in -6 dB pulse-echo fractional bandwidth from 86 to 95%. Theoretical derivations are reported for optimizing the active area of the piezoelectric polymer element for maximum power transfer at resonance. These derivations are extended to the special case for a low profile (i.e., thin) shielded transducer. A method for modeling the non-linear loading effects of a commercial pulser-receiver is also included.     

Vibration analysis of piezoelectrically actuated curved nanosize FG beams via a nonlocal strain-electric field gradient theory

In this article, nonlocal free vibration analysis of curved functionally graded piezoelectric (FGP) nanobeams is conducted using a Navier-type solution method. The model contains a nonlocal stress field parameter and also a nonlocal strain-electric field gradient parameter to capture the size effects. Inclusion of these nonlocal parameters introduces both stiffness-softening and stiffness-hardening effects in the analysis of curved nanobeams. Nonlocal governing equations of curved FGP nanobeam are obtained from Hamilton's principle based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam model. The results are validated with those of curved FG nanobeams available in the literature. Finally, the influences of electric voltage, length scale parameter, nonlocal parameter, opening angle, material composition, and slenderness ratio on vibrational characteristics of nanosize curved FG piezoelectric beams are explored. These results may be useful in accurate analysis and design of smart nanostructures constructed from piezoelectric materials.     

Multifrequency ultrasound transducers for conformal interstitial thermal therapy

Control over the pattern of thermal damage generated by interstitial ultrasound heating applicators can be enhanced by changing the ultrasound frequency during heating. The ability to change transmission frequency from a single transducer through the use of high impedance front layers was investigated in this study. The transmission spectrum of multifrequency transducers was calculated using the KLM equivalent circuit model and verified with experimental measurements on prototype transducers. The addition of a quarter-wavelength thick PZT (unpoled) front layer enabled the transmission of ultrasound at two discrete frequencies, 4.7 and 9.7 MHz, from a transducer with an original resonant frequency of 8.4 MHz. Three frequency transmission at 3.3, 8.4, and 10.8 MHz was possible for a transducer with a half-wavelength thick front layer. Calculations of the predicted thermal lesion size at each transmission frequency indicated that the depth of thermal lesion could be varied by a factor of 1.6 for the quarter-wavelength front layer. Heating experiments performed in excised liver tissue with a dual-frequency applicator confirmed this ability to control the shape of thermal lesions during heating to generate a desired geometry. Practical interstitial Designs that enable the generation of shaped thermal lesions are feasible.     

Piezoelectrically actuated flextensional micromachined ultrasound droplet ejectors

This paper reports a variation on the design of the flextensional transducer for use in ejecting liquids. The transducer is constructed by depositing a piezoelectric thin film to a thin, edge-clamped, circular annular plate. By placing a fluid behind one face of a vibrating compound plate that has an orifice at its center, we achieve continuous or drop-on-demand ejection of the fluid. We present results of ejection of water and isopropanol. The ejector is harmless to sensitive fluids and can be used to eject fuels as well as chemical and biological samples. Micromachined two-dimensional array piezoelectrically actuated flextensional droplet ejectors were realized using planar silicon micromachining techniques. Typical resonant frequency of the micromachined device ranges from 400 kHz to 4.5 MHz. The ejection of water through a 5-μm diameter orifice at 3.5 MHz was demonstrated by using the developed micromachined two-dimensional array ejectors     

三叠片压电复合换能器弯曲振动的比较研究

用瑞利法对三叠片弯振圆盘换能器在三种不同边界条件下的振动特性进行理论研究,推导了谐振频率及有效机电耦合系数的表达式,通过数值计算分析了复合换能器的谐振频率及有效机电耦合系数随换能器各结构参数的变化规律并进行比较研究,同时将计算结果与有限元模拟结果比较,结果表明不同边界条件下换能器的结构参数对谐振频率和有效机电耦合系数影响不同:在换能器结构参数一定时,自由边界条件下谐振频率最大,简支边界条件下最小,固定边界条件下次之;有效机电耦合系数随着金属片厚度、陶瓷片厚度和陶瓷片半径变化时,分别有一个最大值;其他参数一定时,有效机电耦合系数在简支边界条件下最大,自由边界条件下的值稍大于固定边界条件下的值。上述研究结果可为三叠片弯曲振动换能器的设计和实际应用提供一定的理论支持。     

Basic design equations for induction transducers of large displacements

Conclusions The equations derived for the emf, current, magnetic flux, time constant and the number of turns serve for determining speedily the optimum parameters of the induction transducer.     

Design of focused ultrasound surgery transducers

High-intensity focused ultrasound surgery (FUS) has been developed for the extracorporeal treatment of various benign and malignant soft tissue tumors. The system developed at the Institute of Cancer Research/Royal Marsden (ICR/RM) National Health Service (NHS) Trust incorporates a 150 mm focal length focused bowl transducer operated at 1.7 MHz, and is currently undergoing Phase 1 clinical trials for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and superficial bladder cancer. However, the application of this transducer is limited by its focal length to a maximum depth of 100 mm, and by power absorption in the skin to a minimum depth of 40 mm. A computer model of acoustic fields, which assumes uniform excitation of the transducer over its entire surface, has previously been published. This has been used both to calculate the intensity in nonattenuating media, and to estimate the absorbed power per unit volume in homogeneous tissues in order to allow determination of the transducer configurations (frequency, focal length, and diameter) necessary for the treatment of both deep (~150 mm) and shallow (~20 mm) soft tissue tumors. These depths encompass the typical range for human tissues which are likely to be treated. Calculations cover the frequency range 0.5-4.5 MHz, focal lengths from 70 to 200 mm, and transducer diameters from 30 to 190 mm. The results show that appropriate transducers can be designed for the noninvasive treatment of tumors in specific organs     

High frequency piezoelectric MEMS ultrasound transducers

High-frequency ultrasound array transducers using piezoelectric thin films on larger structures are being developed for high-resolution imaging systems. The increase in resolution is achieved by a simultaneous increase in operating frequency (30 MHz to about 1 GHz) and close coupling of the electronic circuitry. Two different processing methods were explored to fabricate array transducers. In one implementation, a xylophone bar transducer was prototyped, using thin film PbZr(0.52)Ti(0.48)O(3) (PZT) as the active piezoelectric layer. In the other, the piezoelectric transducer was prepared by mist deposition of PZT films over electroplated Ni posts. Because the PZT films are excited through the film thickness, the drive voltages of these transducers are low, and close coupling of the electronic circuitry is possible. A complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) transceiver chip for a 16-element array was fabricated in 0.35-microm process technology. The ultrasound front-end chip contains beam-forming electronics, receiver circuitry, and analog-to-digital converters with 3-Kbyte on-chip buffer memory.     

44-MHz LiNbO3 transducers for UBM-guided Doppler ultrasound

In the post genome-sequencing era, physiological phenotyping of genetically engineered mice is critical to further our understanding of the functional consequences of specific genetic defects. We have developed a 40-50 MHz ultrasound biomicroscopy-(UBM) guided, pulsed Doppler system for the sensitive detection of in vivo blood velocity waveforms in the mouse embryonic cardiovascular system. Our approach uses separate transducers for simultaneous imaging and Doppler blood flow measurements. To this end, unfocused, air-backed lithium niobate (LiNbO/sub 3/) transducers provide sensitive Doppler detection and the flexibility of adjusting the axial position of the pulsed Doppler sample volume over many millimeters depth range of the collimated ultrasound beam. In this paper we describe the fabrication and characterization of the electromechanical and ultrasonic beam properties of 44-MHz LiNbO/sub 3/ Doppler transducers. We further demonstrate the utility of these Doppler transducers for interrogating blood vessels such as the dorsal aorta over a range of mouse embryonic stages and axial range-gate depths.     

Piezoelectrically actuated flextensional micromachined ultrasound transducers--I: theory

This series of two papers considers piezoelectrically actuated flextensional micromachined ultrasound transducers (PAFMUTs) and consists of theory, fabrication, and experimental parts. The theory presented in this paper is developed for an ultrasound transducer application presented in the second part. In the absence of analytical expressions for the equivalent circuit parameters of a flextensional transducer, it is difficult to calculate its optimal parameters and dimensions and difficult to choose suitable materials. The influence of coupling between flexural and extensional deformation and that of coupling between the structure and the acoustic volume on the dynamic response of piezoelectrically actuated flextensional transducer are analyzed using two analytical methods: classical thin (Kirchhoff) plate theory and Mindlin plate theory. Classical thin plate theory and Mindlin plate theory are applied to derive two-dimensional plate equations for the transducer and to calculate the coupled electromechanical field variables such as mechanical displacement and electrical input impedance. In these methods, the variations across the thickness direction vanish by using the bending moments per unit length or stress resultants. Thus, two-dimensional plate equations for a step-wise laminated circular plate are obtained as well as two different solutions to the corresponding systems. An equivalent circuit of the transducer is also obtained from these solutions