Quantitative evaluation method for nonlinear characteristics of piezoelectric transducers under high stress with complex nonlinear elastic constant

Abstract

The high power properties of piezoelectric transducers were evaluated considering a complex nonlinear elastic constant. The piezoelectric LCR equivalent circuit with nonlinear circuit parameters was utilized to measure them. The deformed admittance curve of piezoelectric transducers was measured under a high stress and the complex nonlinear elastic constant was calculated by curve fitting. Transducers with various piezoelectric materials, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, (K,Na)NbO3, and Ba(Zr,Ti)O3–(Ba,Ca)TiO3, were investigated by the proposed method. The measured complex nonlinear elastic constant strongly depends on the linear elastic and piezoelectric constants. This relationship indicates that piezoelectric high power properties can be controlled by modifying the linear elastic and piezoelectric constants.