Open-circuit test of a PZT vibrator and its applications

This study investigates a terminal transient response of a Langevin-type PZT vibrator theoretically and experimentally to quantify an electrical shock and refine an equivalent circuit of the vibrator. The shock is induced immediately after an AC sinusoidal voltage of the vibrator is switched off. Then, the transient response involves a DC part and an AC part, which approach zero at the DC and AC times, respectively, and the vibrator is placed on a sponge in air. To do so, we should propose an open-circuit test to find the AC and DC times in addition to the maximum amplitude of the transient response. Thus the DC times exceeds the AC time, and the AC and DC times are used to estimate the resistances in the equivalent circuit presenting the real mechanical and dielectric losses, respectively. Therefore, the resistances in the equivalent circuit are sensitive to the vibration amplitude, but the inductance and capacitances are not. Furthermore, the maximum amplitude is required to cause the shock, and depends on the frequency of the source and the open-circuited time, and is about 65 times the amplitude of the source. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.