Study on the radial composite piezoelectric ceramic transducer in radial vibration

A new type of radial composite piezoelectric transducer in radial vibration is developed and analyzed. The radial composite transducer consists of a piezoelectric ceramic thin ring polarized in the thickness direction and a metal thin circular ring. They are connected together and excited to vibrate in the radial direction. The radial vibrations of a piezoelectric ceramic thin ring and a metal thin circular ring are analyzed, respectively. Their radial electro-mechanical equivalent circuits are obtained. Based on the electro-mechanical equivalent circuits and using the boundary conditions between the piezoelectric ceramic thin ring and the metal thin circular ring in the radial direction, the electro-mechanical equivalent circuit of the radial composite piezoelectric transducer is derived out and the resonance frequency equation is obtained. The relationship between the resonance frequency and the geometrical dimensions of the transducer is analyzed. Some radial composite piezoelectric transducers are designed and manufactured. The resonance frequencies and the anti-resonance frequencies, the electro-mechanical equivalent circuit parameters are measured. The effective electro-mechanical coupling coefficient and the mechanical quality factor are calculated. It is illustrated that the measured radial resonance frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical results from the resonance frequency equation. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.