Sensitivity Characteristics of Acoustic Emission (AE) Sensor Using Thickness-Shear-Mode Piezoelectric Device

Abstract

In this study, Acoustic Emission (AE) sensor was fabricated with the rectangular type Pb(Mg_1/2W_1/2)O₃-Pb(Ni_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-Pb(Zr_0.5Ti_0.5)O₃ (abbreviated as PMW-PNN-PZT) ceramic piezoelectric device using thickness shear mode. From the results of ATILA simulation, the specimen with the size of 8 × 6 × 8  mm³ was determined as the experimental piezoelectric device which shows the excellent thickness shear mode. Electromechanical coupling factor kp, piezoelectric constant d₃₃ and g₃₃ of PMW-PNN-PZT ceramics showed the excellent values of 0.63, 573 [pC/N], and 29.81 [10⁻³V·m/N], respectively, suitable for AE sensor device application. Thickness shear mode electromechanical coupling factor k₁₅ was 0.61 at the specimen with the size of 8 × 6 × 8  mm³. The peak sensitivity of AE sensor using this thickness–shear-mode piezoelectric device showed 79 [dB] at 29.4 [kHz].

Keywords:

• AE sensor
• Sensitivity
• thickness shear mode
• piezoelectric ceramics

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Power Generation & Electricity Delivery of the Korea instate of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning(KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (No. 2010T100100816).

Communicated by Dr. George W. Taylor