Miniature, high efficiency transducers for use in ultrasonic flow meters

Author

Joshi, S.G. ; Zaitsev, B.D. ; Kuznetsova, I.E.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Marquette Univ., Milwaukee, WI, USA

Volume

2

fYear

2004

fDate

23-27 Aug. 2004

Firstpage

1286

Abstract

This paper describes development of a novel, high efficiency transducer for use in ultrasonic flow meters. It is based on conversion of energy between surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and bulk acoustic wave (BAWs). The transducer consists of thin plate of a suitable piezoelectric material whose SAW velocity is greater than velocity of BAW in the fluid. Under these conditions a surface wave traveling on the substrate radiates a bulk acoustic wave in the fluid. We show that with proper design efficient conversion of energy from SAW to BAW and vice versa can be obtained. For example. using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) as the piezoelectric material and water as the fluid, total conversion loss (SAW to BAW and back from BAW to SAW) of less than 3 dB has been obtained.

Keywords

bulk acoustic wave devices; flowmeters; lead compounds; piezoelectric devices; piezoelectric thin films; piezoelectric transducers; surface acoustic wave transducers; ultrasonic measurement; BAW velocity; PZT; PbZrO3TiO3; SAW velocity; bulk acoustic wave; conversion loss; efficiency; energy conversion; lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric material; miniature transducers; radiated bulk acoustic wave; surface acoustic wave; thin plate piezoelectric material; traveling surface wave; ultrasonic flow meters; water fluid; Acoustic measurements; Acoustic transducers; Acoustic waves; Fluid flow measurement; Piezoelectric materials; Piezoelectric transducers; Sawing machines; Surface acoustic waves; Ultrasonic transducers; Velocity measurement;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Ultrasonics Symposium, 2004 IEEE

ISSN

1051-0117

Print_ISBN

0-7803-8412-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ULTSYM.2004.1418025

Filename

1418025