ACOUSTICAL TRANSMISSION LINE MODEL FOR ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS FOR WIDE-BANDWIDTH APPLICATION

An improved model for ultrasonic transducers is proposed. By considering only the first symmetric mode, each layer is represented as an acoustical transmission line in modeling of bulk wave transducers. In imaging applications, wide bandwidth and short time duration are required. The approach we have used consists of impedance matching the front face of the piezoelectric transducer to the propagating medium with a quarter wavelength impedance matching layer and inserting an nnmatching quarter wavelength acoustical layer between the rear face and backing material. A heavy backing would degrade the wide-band phenomena, but show a time duration shorter than 0.5 μs for imaging applications. PSPICE code of the controlled source model is implemented to precisely predict the performance of the matched transducers such as impedance, insertion loss, bandwidth and duration of the impulse response. Good agreement between the simulation and experimental results has been achieved.

The application of laser reflective tomography in near-field measurements of ultrasonic transducers

With Laser Reflective Tomography（LRT）,the near fields of ultrasonic transducers were measured and analyzed.The principle of LRT measurement of ultrasonic field distribution was introduced and an experimental system was set up.Acoustic pressure of a multiple element piston transducer was measured by using of a laser vibrometer.Its distribution in amplitude and phase was obtained.The acoustic pressure in the same region was measured with a needle hydrophone to validate the LRT method.Furthermore,through reconstruction of acoustic fields,it indicated that LRT method is suitable for predicting the distribution on transducers＇surface and conditions of active elements.

Lead-free piezoelectric materials and ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging

Piezoelectric materials have been vastly used in ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging.In this paper,firstly,the most promising lead-free compositions with perovskite structure for medical imaging applications have been reviewed.The electromechanical properties of various lead-free ceramics,composites,and single crystals based on barium titanate,bismuth sodium titanate,potassium sodium niobate,and lithium niobate are presented.Then,fundamental principles and design considerations of ultrasonic transducers are briefly described.Finally,recent developments in lead-free ultrasonic probes are discussed and their acoustic performance is compared to lead-based transducers.Focused transducers with different beam focusing methods such as lens focusing and mechanical shaping are explained.Additionally,acoustic characteristics of lead-free probes including the pulse-echo results as well as their imaging capabilities for various applications such as phantom imaging,in vitro intravascular ultrasound imaging of swine aorta,and in vivo or ex vivo imaging of human eyes and skin are reviewed.

A fast implementation for computing spatial impulse response of ultrasonic transducers

The spatial impulse response（SIR） method is often used as the ＇gold standard5 in simulation of transient acoustic wave fields due to its high accuracy in the linear domain.However, a high sampling frequency is often required in order to achieve the high accuracy. As a result, a large amount of data has to be processed. In this paper a fast approach for computing spatial impulse response is proposed to reduce the computation burden. The proposed approach is developed by employing the relationship of SIRs at observed points and SIRs of the projection points on the transducer surface. Two critical parameters used in the proposed approach, the calculation sampling frequency and the interpolation sampling frequency, are then analyzed.Results show that for a 2.25 MHz rectangular transducer with the size of 5 mm×10 mm,a calculation sampling frequency of 1000 MHz and an interpolation sampling frequency of500 MHz can achieve superior performance while improving the computation efficiency 18 times than the direct solving.

Delamination damage detection of laminated composite beams using air-coupled ultrasonic transducers

Air-coupled ultrasonic transducers are used to generate and receive Lamb waves in quasi-isotropic laminated composite beams for delamination detection. The influence of incident angle on the excited mode is studied. Numerical calculation and experimental results show that a pure Lamb wave mode can be generated if the transmitting transducer is oriented at a specific angle, and the receiving transducer can either be oriented to detect the same mode as that generated by the transmitter or to detect another mode generated by mode conversion at a defect. A three-dimensional finite element model is created to predict the interaction of Lamb waves with delamination, and some unique mechanisms of interaction between A0 mode Lamb waves and delamination are revealed in detail. The experimental results obtained on laminated composite beam using air-coupled ultrasonic transducers are well in accordance with finite element simulation results. Research results show that air-coupled ultrasonic guided waves can be used for delamination damage detection effectively in laminated composite beams.

CONTROL OF ROBOT DRIVEN BY MULTIPLE ULTRASONIC MOTORS BASED ON ROBUST PARAMETER DESIGN

An ultrasonic motor （USM） is difficlt to be mathematically described because of its complex energy conversion and nonlinear parameters from increasing temperature and changing operating conditions. To achieve good performance of a three-joint robot directly driven by USM, according to the operating characteristics of USM, a new position-velocity feedback control strategy is proposed. In the control strategy, there are a total of 18 controller gains to he tuned. Through a series of ＂Design of Experiments＂ by the robust parameter design, an optimal and robust set of proportional integral derivative （PID） controller gains is obtained. Results show that the control strategy can achieve the best performance of the robot and the robust parameter design is effective and convenient to USMs.

Design of a hexagonal air-coupled capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer for air parametric array

An air parametric array can generate a highly directional beam of audible sound in air,which has a wide range of applications in targeted audio delivery.Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer(CMUTs)have great potential for air-coupled applications,mainly because of their low acoustic impedance.In this study,an air-coupled CMUT array is designed as an air parametric array.A hexagonal array is proposed to improve the directivity of the sound generated.A finite element model of the CMUT is established in COMSOL software to facilitate the choice of appropriate structural parameters of the CMUT cell.The CMUT array is then fabricated by a wafer bonding process with high consistency.The performances of the CMUT are tested to verify the accuracy of the finite element analysis.By optimizing the component parameters of the bias-T circuit used for driving the CMUT,DC and AC voltages can be effectively applied to the top and bottom electrodes of the CMUT to provide efficient ultrasound transmission.Finally,the prepared hexagonal array is successfully used to conduct preliminary experiments on its application as an air parametric array.

Concurrent photoacoustic and ultrasound microscopy with a coaxial dual-element ultrasonic transducer

Simultaneous photoacoustic and ultrasound(PAUS)imaging has attracted increasing attention in biomedical research to probe the optical and mechanical properties of tissue.However,the resolution for majority of the existing PAUS systems is on the order of 1 mm as the majority are designed for clinical use with low-frequency US detection.Here we developed a concurrent PAUS microscopy that consists of optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy(OR-PAM)and high-frequency US pulse-echo imaging.This dual-modality system utilizes a novel coaxial dual-element ultrasonic transducer(DE-UST)and provides anatomical and functional information with complementary contrast mechanisms,achieving a spatial resolution of 7μm for PA imaging and 106μm for US imaging.We performed phantom studies to validate the system’s performance.The vasculature of a mouse’s hind paw was imaged to demonstrate the potential of this hybrid system for biomedical applications.

Structure of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3(PZT)for Power Ultrasonic Transducer

To improve the performance of ultrasonic transducer, the samples of PZT were improved by doping. The doped PZT was observed and analyzed from the following aspects： the crystal phase structures, the surface morphologies and the dielectric constant. According to the transducer parameter requirements for ultrasonic machining, there are also requirements for the parameters of piezoelectric ceramics. The high performance PZT was prepared by doping the elements of Ga, Ba, Nb, Sn, and Sr in PZT. The doped PZT is suitable for power ultrasonic machining at 20 kHz through analysis using X-ray diffraction（XPD）, a scanning electron microscope（SEM） and LCR meter. Therefore, the excellent performance of transducer for power ultrasonic machining is guaranteed.

Modification of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 by Doping Mo based on High Power Ultrasonic Transducer

In view of the special requirements of transducers for power ultrasonic processing,the piezoelectric ceramic material Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 was modified by adding other effective elements.The piezoelectric ceramic piece has a good crystal phase structure,a stable piezoelectric constant,a higher dielectric constant,and a lower dielectric loss by adding a small amount of Sr^2+,Ba^2+,Ga^2+,Sn^4+,Nb^5+,etc.These properties are well suited to requirements of power ultrasonic transducer more than 1 000 W.The crystal phase structure and surface morphology of the modified piezoelectric ceramic chips were analyzed by X-ray and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to prove that the piezoelectric ceramic chips have good crystal structure and density.The dielectric constant of the polarized piezoelectric ceramic chips was measured using an LCR meter.Finally,the piezoelectric ceramic chips were used to design the ultrasonic transducer,and the transducer was analyzed and measured by the impedance analyzer.The measurement results show that the performance of the piezoelectric ceramic chips is reasonable and feasible.

The experimental study of the calibration of the focus ultrasonic transducer on its picture

The shape and size of the energy transducer’s focus decide the constitution of the cure project using HIFU (High intensity focused ultrasound). The parameter of the focus will be different when the structure of the transducer is different, so we must calibrate each of them. This paper represents calibration principle and method of focal territory in a high-power ultrasonic focus transducer. The experiment is performed on our designed multiple wafer concave focus probe and HIFU apparatus, using 1010 nylon and pork as the target range. It can be seen that the geometric center and focal territory acoustic field center cannot match together. When using nylon as the target, the distributed curves and theoretical curves are a better match. Therefore, the method and principle of calibration here is constructive for the calibration on pictures of other types of HIFU apparatus.

Error Control Strategy in Ultrasonic Body Area Networks

Recently,ultrasonic waves had been introduced as the transmission medium in Body Area Networks(BANs) to reduce the incalculable damage caused by radio waves. However,the communications based on ultrasonic waves suffer from poor propagation of signals in air and consume too much energy. To address these limitations,firstly,we make the theoretical analysis to ensure ultrasonic waves could be used in BANs(UBANs). Then,we propose an error control strategy in UBANs to dynamically adjust the error control scheme and the Max-Retries based on the current channel state,which is called UECS. The UECS is based on IEEE 802.15.6 standards and considering the characteristics of ultrasonic waves in BANs. Simulation results show that UECS achieves better performance in terms of packet delivery ratio and energy consumption compared with the traditional strategies.

Design and Magnetic Field Uniformity of Giant Magnetostrictive Ultrasonic Transducer for Progressive Sheet Forming

Design of a giant magnetostrictive ultrasonic transducer for progressive sheet forming was presented.A dynamic analysis of the theoretically designed ultrasonic vibration system was carried out using the finite element method(FEM).In addition,simulations were performed to verify the theoretical design.Then,a magnetically conductive material was added between the giant magnetostrictive rod and the permanent magnet.Besides,magnetic field simulations of the transducer were performed.The influence of the material thickness of the magnetically conductive material on uniformity of the induced magnetic field was studied.Furthermore,the impedance analysis and amplitude measurement were performed to compare the performance of transducers with and without the magnetically conductive material.The experimental results show that the magnetic field uniformity is the highest when the magnetically conductive material has a thickness of about 1.6 mm.The output amplitude of the giant magnetostrictive transducer is improved by adding the magnetically conductive material.Moreover,the mechanical quality factor and impedance are reduced,while the transducer operates more stably.

Simulation Study of CMUT for Pressure Sensing Applications

Capacitive micromechanical ultrasonic transducers(CMUTs)have been widely studied because they can be used as substitutes for piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers in imaging applications.However,it is unclear whether and how CMUTs can be developed for sensors incorporating other functions.For instance,researchers have proposed the use of CMUTs for pressure sensing,but fundamental and practical application issues remain unsolved.This study explored ways in which a pressure sensor can be properly developed based on a CMUT prototype using a simulation approach.A three-dimensional finite element model of CMUTs was designed using the COMSOL Multiphysics software by combining the working principle of CMUTs with pressure sensing characteristics in which the resonance frequency of the CMUT cell shifts accordingly when it is subjected to an external pressure.Simultaneously,when subjected to pressure,the CMUT membrane deforms,thus the pressure can be reflected by the change in the capacitance.

Computer Technology in Modeling and Experiment Problems with Powerful Ultrasound in Air

The article presents an example of a device for focusing ultrasound through the air with the use of computer modeling technology and experimental data processing. The device is a matrix of 172 emitters operating at a frequency of 40 kHz, and the formation of the electronic unit of the ultrasound beam. Beam control on the software from your PC. Radiation pressure at the focal point was 57 Pa, and allows you to move light objects and feel the tactile effect of ultrasound. Present calculations the characteristics of the focused field and results of computer visualization of theoretical and experimental research.

Study on aerosol agglomeration using the airborne ultrasonic transducer

Acoustic agglomeration technology use high-intensity acoustic field to make aerosol particles collide and condense rapidly. Existing studies have shown that 70%–90% of fine particles can be eliminated within minutes using compression drives and air-jet generators. Currently, there are limitations to the sound sources used. In this paper, an airborne ultrasonic transducer with a resonant frequency of 15 kHz is designed, followed by the corresponding numerical simulation and experiments for the evaluation of the vibration modal and sound pressure field. The sound pressure levels (SPL) of the open space and the agglomeration chamber can reach 150 dB and 156 dB, respectively. The agglomeration effect of water droplets, liquid phase smoke, solid phase smoke and mixed smoke is experimentally investigated, and the light transmittance rapidly increases from 8% to 60% within 4 s, 8 s, 5 s and 6 s, respectively. Agglomeration is also effective in the high-frequency range, and we infer that the acoustic wake effect is the predominant mechanism. The elimination effect is promoted with the increasing of SPL until the corresponding secondary acoustic effect is enhanced. Moreover, the agglomeration rate of higher concentration aerosol is significantly better than that of diluted aerosols in ultrasonic agglomeration process.

Properties study of LiNbO_3 lateral field excited device working on thickness extension mode

This paper investigates the properties of thickness extension mode excited by lateral electric field on LiNbO3 by using the extended Christoffel-Bechmann method. It finds that the lateral field excitation coupling factor for amode （quasi-extensional mode） reaches its maximum value of 28% on Xmcut LiNbO3. The characteristics of a lateral field excitation device made of X-cut LiNbO3 have been investigated and the lateral field excitation device is used for the design of a high frequency ultrasonic transducer. The time and frequency domain pulse/echo response of the LiNbO3 lateral field excitation ultrasonic transducer is analysed with the modified Krimholtz-Leedom-Matthae model and tested using traditional pulse/echo method. A LiNbO3 lateral field excitation ultrasonic transducer with the centre frequency of 33.44 MHz and the -6 dB bandwidth of 33.8% is acquired, which is in good agreement with the results of the Krimholtz-Leedom-Matthae model. Further analysis suggests that the LiNbO3 lateral field excitation device has great potential in the design of broadband high frequency ultrasonic transducers.

Application of Micro Electro Mechanical System(MEMS)Technology in Photoacoustic Imaging

Photoacoustic imaging(PAI)is a new biomedical imaging technology that provides a mixed contrast mechanism and excellent spatial resolution in biological tissues.It is a non-invasive technology that can provide in vivo anatomical and functional information.This technology has great application potential in microscopic imaging and endoscope system.In recent years,the devel-opment of micro electro mechanical system(MEMS)technology has promoted the improvement and miniaturization of the photoacoustic imaging system,as well as its preclinical and clinical appli-cations.This paper introduces the research progress of MEMS technology in photoacoustic micro-scope systems and the miniaturization of photoacoustic endoscope ultrasonic transducers,and points out the shortcomings of existing technology and the direction of future development.

A simple algorithm to calculate the pulsed sound field of a wide-band linear phased array

A simple algorithm using an impulse response for a rectangular piston element is discussed. The impulse response of linear phased array is obtained hv stumming the impulse responses of rectangular piston elements with different delay times. The output response of the linear wide-band array is equal to the convolution of impulse response functions with wide-band pulse exeiting signal. Sound field distributions and impulse responses of three kinds of transducers are compared. The results can be used to optimize the parameters of the linear phased array transducers used in uhrasonie imaging in nondestructive testing （NDT）.

A Design of Ultraphonic Tubulous Water Communication System Based on OFDM

In this paper,a design of ultraphonic tubulous water communication system based on OFDM is introduced. The system takes PL3106 which is embedded enhanced 8051 microprocessor as the control chip and takes TMS320VC5509 as the core of OFDM modulation-demodulation.In the paper,the principle of OFDM is introduced briefly.The hardware and software of the system are designed and the experimental results are analysed and concluded.