Study on Vibration Characteristics of Functionally Graded Material Composite Spherical Piezoelectric Transducer

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Non-uniform composite structures show promise for enhancing transducer impedance matching and efficiency.
• Spherical piezoelectric transducers are crucial components in various sensing and energy harvesting applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a functionally graded material composite spherical piezoelectric transducer (FGM-cSPT).
• To establish and validate a three-port electromechanical equivalent circuit model for FGM-cSPTs.
• To analyze the influence of non-uniformity and geometric dimensions on the transducer's vibration characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Development of a three-port electromechanical equivalent circuit model.
• Verification of the theoretical model using finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental testing.
• Parametric study on the effects of the non-uniform coefficient and geometric dimensions.

Main Results:

• The theoretical model accurately predicts the behavior of FGM-cSPTs.
• The non-uniform coefficient and geometric dimensions significantly influence resonance frequency, anti-resonance frequency, and effective electromechanical coupling coefficient.
• Demonstrated tunability of vibration characteristics through material grading and geometric design.

Conclusions:

• The proposed FGM-cSPT design and modeling approach provide a method for optimizing transducer performance.
• The findings guide the engineering design of FGM-cSPTs for enhanced efficiency and impedance matching.
• Potential applications include marine exploration, structural health monitoring, and energy harvesting.