Ultrasensitive ultrasonic transducer studies

摘要

This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This project sought to continue development of the ultrasensitive ultrasonic transducers that won a 1994 R&D 100 Award. These transducers have a very smooth response across a broad frequency range and thus are extremely well- suited for resonant ultrasound spectroscopy as well as pulsed-echo and acoustic-emission applications. Current work on these transducers has indicated that bonding the piezoelectric and wear surface to a metal foil and attaching the foil to a body is less expensive and produces a transducer that is as good or better than commercially produced transducers. We have diffusion- bonded piezoelectric crystals and backings to stainless-steel-foil and wear surfaces. These are then attached onto stainless-steel tubes with electrical connectors to form the transducers. The transducers have been characterized using a reciprocity technique, electrical response, and optical interferometry. After characterization, the transducers have been compared to existing transducers by measuring and testing identical properties.