PAFEC VibroAcoustics - SONAR Class IV Flextensional Transducer Example

A class IV flextensional transducer consists of a ceramic stack lying along the major axis of an elliptical shell. Excitation of the stack in the axial thickness mode causes a small displacement on the major axis of the elliptical shell. Vibration of the shell in its flexing mode causes a magnification effect on the minor axis resulting in a large displacement amplitude. Thus a large volume of fluid is displaced. Class IV flextensional transducers are compact, high power, low frequency sources.

Using the symmetry of the structure only one eighth needs to be modelled, with appropraite constraints applied on the planes of symmetry.

Conductance v Frequency

Susceptance v Frequency

Animation of structure vibrating at 1520 Hz.

Pressure v Frequency at Y = 1.0m

Animation of pressure distribution at 1520 Hz.