Piezocomposite transducers for operation in 15-25 kHz range

The demands on underwater sonar transducer performance have increased in recent years, as the capabilities of modern electronics have increased. Broad bandwidths and high source level are now in demand at low frequencies, in turn calling for transducers in which materials, composition and geometry are exploited innovatively. In this paper, we report initial finite element analysis (FEA) studies for a piezocomposite transducer exhibiting promising results in the 15-25 kHz frequency range. Measurements taken in air and underwater at various excitation signal levels compare well with the theoretical predictions. Key results are presented to demonstrate the TVR, RVS and beam width of the prototype device. Previous work on optimisation of multilayer designs suggested that the new design may be further improved by varying its properties layer-to-layer. We discuss this and indicate potential performance improvements. Bondlines are another important issue in multilayer devices and their effects are carefully considered.