Date of Award
2013
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Ocean Engineering
Department
Ocean Engineering
First Advisor
Harold Vincent
Abstract
This thesis presents an automated method of tuning underwater transducers. Typically, the efficiency of a piezoelectric transducer's output power is limited by an electrical mismatch between the voltage source and transducer. This mismatch is due to the capacitive reactance of the piezoelectric element. The addition of an appropriately sized inductor to the system can effectively cancel the capacitive reactance and introduce an "electrical resonance" at a given frequency. A prototype system is described and constructed which leverages the effects of additional inductance to produce significant gains in output power of a transducer. This Automated Tuning System (ATS) consists of switching inductor network controlled by a tuning algorithm. Testing demonstrates that the ATS is capable of producing significant off-band gains in transduction efficiency as well as considerably extending the functional bandwidth of the transducer.
Recommended Citation
Radke, Hayden N., "Development of a Self-Tuning Amplifier for Piezoelectric Transducer Evaluations" (2013). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 80.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/80
Terms of Use
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