Transducer Modeling

Learning Objectives

Two port and three port transducer models

Sittig model
Mason model
KLM Model

Acoustic radiation impedance

Transducer sensitivity, impedance

The sound generation process

 Transducer model - fields
Consider a P-wave
immersion p, v
I
transducer:
V

n pressure,
S velocity fields

Reciprocity :
2 1 1 2

S
(
V ( ) I ( ) − V ( ) I ( ) = ∫ p( ) v( ) − p( ) v(
2 1 1 2)
) ⋅ n dS
 Transducer model- ‘lumped’ parameters

compressive force
F
voltage v
V
I velocity, v(x,ω)
current
pressure, p(x,ω)
For v ( x, ω ) = v (ω ) n
piston
F (ω ) = ∫ p ( x, ω ) dS
behavior S

∫ p ( x, ω ) v ( x, ω ) ⋅ n dS = F (ω ) v (ω )
so reciprocity becomes:
( 2 ) (1) (1) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) (1) (1) ( 2 )
V I −V I = F v −F v
Transducer model - transfer matrix

force
F
V A
I v velocity

2-Port Transducer Model

I v

V [TA] F

⎧V ⎫ ⎡T11 T12A ⎤ ⎧F ⎫
A
⎨ ⎬=⎢ A
⎩ I ⎭ ⎣T21
A ⎥⎨ ⎬
T22 ⎦ ⎩ v ⎭
, det T
A
[ ]
=1
From reciprocity
 Transducer model - transfer matrix
I v

V [TA] F

Sittig model: [T ]= [T ][T ]

A
e
A
a
A

⎡ 1/ n n / iω Co ⎤
[ ]
TeA =⎢
⎣−iω Co 0 ⎥⎦

[ ]
TaA = a
1 ⎡ Z a + iZ a cot(kd )
⎢ b 0 ( )
a 2
Z0 + iZ0a Zba cot(kd )⎤
⎥
Zb − iZ0 tan(kd / 2) ⎢⎣
a
1 (kd / 2 ) ⎥⎦
Zba − 2iZ0a tan
 Transducer model - transfer matrix

k = ω / v0 wave number of piezoelectric plate

v0 = c33D / ρ p wave speed of the plate, defined in terms of:

c33D plate elastic constant at constant flux density

ρp plate density
n = h33C 0 constant, defined in terms of:
h33 plate stiffness
C 0 = S / β ssS d clamped capacitance, defined in terms of:
S, d plate area, thickness
β 33D plate dielectric impermeability at constant
strain
Z 0a = ρ p v0 S plate acoustic impedance

Z ba backing acoustic impedance

 Transducer - three port model
V
I v2
I
V
F1 , v1 F2 , v2
F2
v1
Plating transducer crystal F1
(thickness neglected)

3x3 impedance matrix

⎧ 1⎫
F ⎡ Z
a
0 cot ( kl ) Z0 / sin(kl )
a
h33 / ω ⎤ ⎧ v1 ⎫
⎪ ⎪ ⎢ a ⎥⎪ ⎪
F =
⎨ 2⎬ ⎢ 0
i Z / sin ( kl ) Z
a
0 cot (kl ) h 33 / ω ⎥ ⎨ v2 ⎬
⎪V ⎪ ⎢ h / ω ω ω ⎥ ⎪I⎪
⎩ ⎭ ⎣ 33 h 33 / 1 / C0 ⎦⎩ ⎭
 Transducer - Mason equivalent circuit

a a
v1 - iZ0 tan(kl/2) - iZ0 tan(kl/2) v2

a
iZ0 /sin(kl)
F1 F2
I
- C0 1: n
V
C0
 Transducer - KLM equivalent circuit model

v1 l/2 l/2 v2

F1 a a F2
Z0 Z0
I -iX

C0 1
V φ=
2M sin(kl/2)
1:φ a
X = Z0 M2 sin(kl)
M = h33 / (ωZ0a)
 Sittig model with crystal facing layers

Commercial transducer:
[TA] = [TeA] [TaA] [Tl] ...

a facing layers
Backing (Zb ) crystal
(epoxy bonding, wear plate, etc.)
v1 v2
Acoustic layer: F1 [Tl] F2

⎧ F1 ⎫ ⎡ cos(ka la ) −iZ 0a sin(ka la )⎤⎧ F2 ⎫

⎨ ⎬= ⎢ ⎥⎨ ⎬
⎩ 1⎭ ⎣
v −isin (k l
a a ) / Z0
a
cos(ka la ) ⎦⎩ v2 ⎭
 Transducer – radiation into a fluid

At the acoustic port the force and velocity parameters

are not independent. We can write Ft (ω ) = Z rA;a (ω ) v (ω )
A; a
Z r … acoustic radiation impedance (a "lumped"parameter
that depends on the velocity and pressure distribution
at the acoustic port, the port geometry, and the fluid properties)
I v
A; a
V [TA] Ft Z r
 Acoustic radiation impedance

Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral model of radiation of

waves into a fluid by a piston transducer
v (ω )
ρ… fluid density y
c … fluid wave speed x
k = ω/c
−iω ρ v (ω ) exp ( ikr )
pressure p ( x, ω ) = ∫ dS ( y )
2π S
r
r = x−y

∫ p ( x, ω ) dS −iωρ ⎧ exp ( ikr ) ⎫

Z (ω ) =
a s
= ∫ ⎨∫ dS ( y ) ⎬ dS ( x )
v (ω ) 2π S ⎩ S
r
r ⎭
 Acoustic radiation impedance

Greenspan, 1979: showed that for a circular piston transducer

. a the acoustic radiation impedance obtained from
of radius
the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld model could be found explicitly in
the form

Z rA;a / ρ cS A = 1 − ⎡⎣ J1 ( ka ) − iS1 ( ka ) ⎤⎦ / ka
J1 … Bessel function
S1 … Struve function

SA = πa2
 Acoustic radiation impedance

Greenspan model of a circular piston transducer

1.2

1.1

Z rA;a 0.9

ρ cS A 0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5
0 5 10 15 20 25

ka >> ka=linspace(0, 25, 100);

>> ka = ka + eps*( ka ==0);
>> Z = 1 -(besselj(1,ka)-i*struve(ka))./ka;
>> plot(ka, abs(Z))
>> xlabel(' ka ')
>> ylabel( ' V/\rhocS')
>> ylabel( ' Z/\rhocS')
 Acoustic radiation impedance

F
v
A
velocity

Most NDE transducers operate at high frequencies

(ka >> 1). At such high frequencies if we can
assume piston behavior, for any shaped transducer it
can be shown that
Z rA;a ≅ ρ cS A

density, wave speed, area

 Acoustic radiation impedance

function y = struve(z)
num = length(z);
y=zeros(1,num);
for k = 1:num
y(k) = quadl(@struve_arg, 0, 1, [ ],[ ], z(k));
end

function y = struve_arg(x, z)
y = (4./pi).*z.*x.^2.*sin(z.*(1-x.^2)).*sqrt(2-x.^2);

this uses
1
2z
H1 ( z ) = ∫ 1 − t 2 sin ( zt ) dt t = 1 − x 2
π 0
1
sin ⎡⎣ z (1 − x 2 ) ⎤⎦ 2 − x 2 dx
4z
= ∫x
2

π 0
 Sensitivity, Impedance

Vin
I in A

Iin vt

Vin ⎡⎣T A ⎤⎦ Ft Z rA;a Ft = Z rA;a vt

the electrical characteristics of the transducer

can be completely described by its input Iin

impedance:
Vin Z rA;aT11A + T12A Vin Z inA;e (ω )
Z A; e
= = A; a A
I in Z r T21 + T22A
in
 Sensitivity, Impedance

Vin Ft
I in A
vt

to describe the conversion of electrical signals

into acoustic signals, we could use the
O
transducer's sensitivity, SOI, where SOI =
I
O … an output (force or velocity)
I … an input (voltage or current)

The particular sensitivity we will use is:

vt 1
S ≡
A
= A; a A
I in Z r T21 + T22A
vI
 Sensitivity, Impedance

Ft
Vin
A Ft = Z rA;a vt
I in vt

All the other sensitivities can be found from this sensitivity

if the transducer electrical impedance and acoustic radiation
impedance are known: S A = vt
vI
I in
Ft
S FIA = = Z rA;a SvIA
I in
vt
SvVA = = SvIA / Z inA;e
Vin
Ft
A
S FV = = Z rA;a SvIA / Z inA;e
Vin
 Sensitivity, Impedance

Vin Ft
I in A
vt

Thus, we can replace the transfer matrix model of the transducer

by a model consisting of an electrical impedance and an ideal
"converter" that is defined by the transducer sensitivity:
I in
vt = SvIA I in
Vin Z inA;e
Ft = Z rA;a SvIA I in
 Entire Sound Generation Process
pulser
cable
Vi (ω ) A Ft (ω )

Thevenin transmitting output

input voltage transducer force

=
pulser
transducer
Z ie (ω ) cable
vt = SvIA I in
Vi (ω )
Ft = Z rA;a vt
[ T]
= Z A; e
in

Vi (ω ) tG ( ω ) Ft (ω )

sound generation
transfer function
 Entire Sound Generation Process
pulser
cable
Vi (ω ) A Ft (ω )

Thevenin transmitting output

input voltage transducer force

Vi (ω ) tG ( ω ) Ft (ω )

sound generation
transfer function
Ft (ω ) Z rA;a SvIA
tG ( ω ) = = A; e
Vi (ω ) ( Z in T11 + T12 ) + ( Z inA;eT21 + T22 ) Z ie
 References

Ristic, V.M., Principles of Acoustic Devices, John Wiley, 1983

Kino. G.S., Acoustic Waves - Devices, Imaging and Analog

Signal Processing, Prentice-Hall, 1987.

Auld, B.A., Acoustic Fields and Waves in Solids, 2nd Ed.,

Vols. I and II, Krieger Publishing Co. , 1990.

Sacshe, W., and N.N. Hsu,” Ultrasonic transducers for materials

testing and their characterization,” in Physical Acoustics, Vol. XIV,
Eds. W.P. Mason and R.N. Thurston, 277-406, 1979.

Greeenspan, M., “Piston radiator: some extension of the theory,”

J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 65, 608-621, 1979.