Frequency tuning and automatic frequency tracking of shunted piezoelectric transducers

Ultrasonics. 2024 Apr 17:141:107318. doi: 10.1016/j.ultras.2024.107318. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers, vital in medical devices and aerospace, often face challenges like resonant frequency shifts and impedance variations affecting their operational efficiency. This paper introduces a shunted piezoelectric transducer which could tune itself by digitally programmable inductance. A transformer and inductance-capacitance matching network ensures enhanced compatibility and impedance management. Proposing a fuzzy PI-based phase control method achieves resonant frequency tracking, synchronizing operational frequency with the transducer. In contrast to traditional methods, our approach enables faster and more precise fine-tuning, detecting and rectifying real-world deviations for optimal performance. A comprehensive experimental validation, based on fundamental knowledge analysis, confirms the feasibility and superiority of our proposed method, and the commonly encountered issues of resonance frequency deviation and impedance variation in high-power piezoelectric transducer applications can be effectively mitigated.

Keywords: Resonant frequency tracking; Shunted piezoelectric transducers; Tuning.