Abstract
The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of ultrasonic imaging and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) applications can be greatly improved by driving each piezoelectric transducer (single or in array) with tuned HV capacitive-discharge drivers. These can deliver spikes with kW pulsed power at PRF ≈ 5000 spikes/s, achieving levels higher even than in CW high-power ultrasound: up to 5 kWpp. These conclusions are reached here by applying a new strategy proposed for the accurate modeling of own-design re-configurable HV capacitive drivers. To obtain such rigorous spike modeling, the real effects of very high levels of pulsed intensities (3–10 A) and voltages (300–700 V) were computed. Unexpected phenomena were found: intense brief pulses of driving power and probe emitted force, as well as nonlinearities in semiconductors, though their catalog data include only linear ranges. Fortunately, our piezoelectric and circuital devices working in such an intense regime have not shown serious heating problems, since the finally consumed “average” power is rather small. Intensity, power, and voltage, driving wideband transducers from our capacitive drivers, are researched here in order to drastically improve (∆ >> 40 dB) their ultrasonic “net dynamic range available” (NDRA), achieving emitted forces > 240 Newtonspp and receiving ultrasonic signals of up to 76–205 Vpp. These measurements of ultrasonic pulsed voltages, received in NDE and Imaging, are approximately 10,000 larger than those usual today. Thus, NDRA ranges were optimized for three laboratory capacitive drivers (with six commercial transducers), which were successfully applied in the aircraft industry for imaging landing flaps in Boeing wings, despite suffering acoustic losses > 120 dB.
Highlights
Each transducer channel involved in ultrasonic imaging applications using piezoelectric transducers is usually classified as “low power”, e.g., in the case of the systems used for industrial non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and medical diagnosis applications
The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of ultrasonic imaging and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) applications can be greatly improved by driving each piezoelectric transducer with tuned HV capacitive-discharge drivers
net dynamic range available” (NDRA) ranges were optimized for three laboratory capacitive drivers, which were successfully applied in the aircraft industry for imaging landing flaps in Boeing wings, despite suffering acoustic losses > 120 dB
Summary
Each transducer channel (emitter and sensor) involved in ultrasonic imaging applications using piezoelectric transducers is usually classified as “low power”, e.g., in the case of the systems used for industrial NDE and medical diagnosis (echography) applications. These high currents and voltages (300–700 V), Sensors 2021, 21, 7178 supported by some components, could lead to unexpected brief electronic responses These huge parametric ranges were considered here in modeling and simulation tasks needed in the design processes of our new equipment for very efficient ultrasonic detection and imaging purposes, but with HV supply consumption < 4 W/channel. To summarize all the above described: Some unexpected very high values in the pulsed regime (maximum electrical levels to be supported by driving electronic components and piezoelectric transducers) were taken into account for our rigorous analysis of the whole emission piezoelectric process This must be achieved using the specific data of pulsed powers and electrical currents needed to efficiently drive ultrasonic detection and imaging cases, for medical and industrial applications with high resolution and SNR [8]. Block diagram of our HV pulsed driver for efficient excitation of broadband transducers
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