Structural design of a piezoelectric flextentional deep-water sonar transducer using a coupled FE-BEM

A piezoelectric flextentional deep-water sonar transducer has been designed using a coupled FE-HEM. The dynamics of the sonar transducer is modelled in three dimensions and is analyzed with external electrical excitation conditions. Different results are available such as steady-state frequency response for TX displacement modes, directivity patterns, resonance frequencies, TVRs. While the conventional barrel-stave typed sonar transducer of the piezoelectric material is designed, the external surface of the transducer is modified in order to allow the same hydrostatic pressure to be applied onto the inner and the outer surfaces of the transducer. With this modification for deep-water application, a new resonance mode is generated at lower frequency. This lower resonance mode can be adjusted according to the degree of the outer surface modification.