Impedance transducers

This relationship has been exploited for NDT, where impedance transducers have been developed that measure the elastic strain at two different sections of a vibrating rod excited at one end and in contact with a composite structure at the other end. Certain impedance transducer systems measure the potential difference between a top driving piezoelectric element and a receiving piezoelectric element the relationship between these voltages is dependent on the impedance. It was reported by Cawley that a 3 dB difference in impe-... 

A resonance in the layered stracture occurs when echoes between two boundaries travel back and forth due to differences in acoustic impedances at the boundaries. For multi-layer structures a number of resonances can be observed depending on their geometry and condition. For each particular defect-free structure and given transducer we obtain a characteristic resonance pattern, an ultrasonic signature, which can be used as a reference. 

Let us consider a conductive material with the conductivity a, in which have been machined relatively small discontinuities shaped like dead hole. The surface has been inspected with a transducer with orthogonal coils connected in an impedance bridge [11]. 

The properties of the piezocomposite material mentioned above offer special benefits when the transducer is coupled to a material of low acoustic impedance. This especially applies to probes having plastic delay lines or wedges and to immersion and medical probes. These probes with piezocomposite elements can be designed to have not only a high sensitivity but also at the same time an excellent resolution and, in addition, the effort required for the probe s mechanical damping can be reduced. 

The use of air-bome ultrasound for the excitation and reception of surface or bulk waves introduces a number of problems. The acoustic impedance mismatch which exists at the transducer/air and the air/sample interfaces is the dominant factor to be overcome in this system. Typical values for these three media are about 35 MRayls for a piezo-ceramic (PZT) element and 45 MRayls for steel, compared with just 0.0004 MRayls for air. The transmission coefficient T for energy from a medium 1 into a medium 2 is given by... 

The VMOS-pulser with a rise time lower than 6 ns provides high axial resolution and high-frequency inspections above 10 MHz with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The output voltage amounts to about 228 V without load, and 194 V with a load of 75 H, A damping control from 75 Q to 360 Q matches the impedance to the transducer. 

In another type of measurement, the parallel between mechanical and electrical networks can be exploited by using variable capacitors and resistors to balance the impedance of the transducer circuit. These electrical measurements readily lend themselves to computer interfacing for data acquisition and analysis. 

CH2—CI2—) —(—CF2— CFH—) (39). Ceramic crystals have a higher piezoelectric efficiency. Their high acoustic impedance compared to body tissues necessitates impedance matching layers between the piezoelectric and the tissue. These layers are similar in function to the antireflective coatings on a lens. Polymer piezoelectric materials possess a more favorable impedance relative to body tissues but have poorer performance characteristics. Newer transducer materials are piezoelectric composites containing ceramic crystals embedded in a polymer matrix (see Composite materials, polymer-MATRIX Piezoelectrics). 

Piezoelectric Transducers Certain ciystals produce a potential difference between their surfaces when stressed in appropriate directions. Piezoelectric pressure transducers generate a potential difference proportional to a pressure-generated stress. Because of the extremely high electrical impedance of piezoelectric crystals at low frequency, these transducers are usually not suitable for measurement of static process pressures. 

The important characteristics of a transducer used in conjunction with an electronic measurement system are accuracy, susceptibility, frequency, impedance and, if appropriate, the method of excitation. The transducer is likely to be the least accurate component in the system, and it should be calibrated (and recalibrated) at frequent intervals. It is likely to be subject to a range of different physical conditions, some of which it is there to detect and others by which it should remain unaffected (for example, a pressure transducer should be unaffected by any changes in temperature which it might be called upon to experience). Some types of transducer are not suitable for use under D.C. conditions and all will have an upper limit of frequency at which accuracy is acceptable. Many types of transducer are also affected by stray electromagnetic fields. 

The impedance of the transducer is important if it provides an output signal to an electronic device (an amplifier, for example) and the impedance of the two must be matched for accurate measurement. Some transducers (thermocouples, for example) generate their output by internal mechanisms (i.e. they are self-excited). Others such as resistance thermometers need an external source and an appropriate type must be available. Transducers used in the measurement of the more common physical quantities are discussed below. 

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