Application Cases

Experiment Name: Testing Experiment on the Performance of Plum Blossom-Shaped IGW Transducers

Research Direction: Structural Health Monitoring, Health Monitoring of Curved Plates/Thin Plates in Large-Scale Engineering Structures

Experimental Objective:
First, the excitation/reception frequency response characteristics and excitation wave fields of a single plum blossom-shaped IGW transducer element were studied using the finite element method. Preliminary research was also conducted on the excitation wave fields and reception directivity of its array. To validate the performance of the transducer element and array, electric field-driven jet deposition micro-nano 3D printing technology was used to fabricate the transducers. Their performance, including excitation/reception frequency response, wave field displacement, sensitivity, and directionality, was tested experimentally, and their application effectiveness in damage detection was preliminarily verified.

Testing Equipment: Signal generator, oscilloscope, ATA-2088 high-voltage amplifier, scanning laser Doppler vibrometer, micro-nano 3D printing equipment, multimeter, etc.

Experimental Procedure:
The experimental platform consists of an oscilloscope, an Aigtek voltage amplifier, a signal generator, a PZT, and an aluminum plate with a single plum blossom-shaped IGW transducer element attached. The center of the transducer element is at coordinates (0,0), with a PZT diameter of 10 mm and a position at (0,110). The signal generator is connected to the amplifier and oscilloscope: in the excitation frequency response experiment, the amplifier is connected to the transducer element, and the oscilloscope is connected to the PZT; in the reception frequency response experiment, the amplifier is connected to the PZT, and the oscilloscope is connected to the transducer element (the platform schematic is shown in Figure 1).

Five-peak narrowband modulated sinusoidal signals with an amplitude of 10 V and frequencies ranging from 100 kHz to 1.5 MHz (in 100 kHz increments) were sequentially excited. In the excitation experiment, the amplifier output of 500 V was connected to the transducer element; in the reception experiment, the amplifier output of 100 V was connected to the PZT (the actual experimental setup is shown in Figure 2).

Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of the Excitation and Reception Experimental Platform

Figure 2: Actual Photo of the Experimental Platform

Experimental Results:

1. Excitation Frequency Response:
   As shown in Figure 3, when the excitation frequency ranges from 100 kHz to 300 kHz, the excitation amplitude increases with frequency, reaching its maximum at 300 kHz. A minimum value appears at 400 kHz, and a second peak appears at 500 kHz. Subsequently, the amplitude gradually decreases, dropping to 50% of the maximum value at 820 kHz. Taking $f_u=210\text{kHz}$ and $f_l=820\text{kHz}$, the calculated center frequency of the exciter is $f_c=505\text{kHz}$, with a bandwidth $B=610\text{kHz}$ and a relative bandwidth $BW=120.8\%$. This indicates that the transducer has broadband excitation capability.

   
   

   Figure 3: Original Waveform and Excitation Frequency Response of a Single Plum Blossom-Shaped IGW Transducer Element

2. Reception Frequency Response:
   As shown in Figure 4, when the reception frequency ranges from 100 kHz to 240 kHz, the reception amplitude decreases with increasing frequency, indicating that the resonant frequency of the receiver is ≤100 kHz. From 240 kHz to 510 kHz, the amplitude increases with frequency, reaching a maximum at 510 kHz. Subsequently, the amplitude decreases, dropping to 50% of the maximum value at 750 kHz. Taking $f_u=240\text{kHz}$ and $f_l=750\text{kHz}$, the calculated center frequency of the receiver is $f_c=495\text{kHz}$, with a bandwidth $B=510\text{kHz}$ and a relative bandwidth $BW=103.0\%$. This indicates that the transducer has broadband reception response capability.

   
   

   Figure 4: Original Waveform and Reception Frequency Response of a Single Plum Blossom-Shaped IGW Transducer Element

Recommended Voltage Amplifier: ATA-2088

Figure: ATA-2088 High-Voltage Amplifier Specifications

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