DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND PROPERTIES OF SONOPANEL™ 1-3 PIEZOCOMPOSITE TRANSDUCERS

1-3 piezocomposite materials, manufactured by PZT ceramic injection molding and marketed by Materials Systems under the trade name "SonoPanel (TM)", have been adapted for operation under a wide variety of undersea conditions. These transducer materials have been modified to enhance specific performance characteristics by varying the PZT ceramic element type and layout, the polymer matrix properties, and by configuring the device to couple efficiently into water in both transmit and receive operation. Piezocomposite SonoPanels (TM) have high and very broadband receiving voltage sensitivity (RVS). In one typical configuration (6mm thick 1-3 composite with 15 volume % PZT-SH, soft polymer matrix and stiff coverplates), the nonresonant RVS is -187 +/- 2dB re IV/mu Pa from 0.1 to > 100kHz. The nonresonant transmit voltage response (TVR) of a 100mm square SonoPanel (TM) is 147dB at 50kHZ, and increases linearly at 40dB per decade to 175dB at resonance. SonoPanel (TM) have been driven at rms electric field levels up to 225V/mm, with linear sound pressure response. Furthermore, 1-3 composites have significantly higher capacitance than other "piezo-sheet" materials, such as PVDF or 0-3 composite, and as a result have very low self noise. In addition, these materials have been shown to be resistant to pressures of at least 7MPa.