Voltage gain and efficiency of a bi-layered radial mode piezoelectric/magnetoelectric solid-state transformer

ABSTRACT

Piezoelectric transformers are devices able to raise an electrical input voltage with low energy losses. However, there are a few reports on the designing of multiferroic piezoelectric transformers. In this paper, an alternative bi-layer radial mode piezoelectric/magnetoelectric transformer approach by using a Nb doped (1 wt%) Pb(Zr)₅₃Ti₄₇O₃ piezoelectric ceramic as actuator, and a La doped (5 wt%) (0.6)BiFeO₃-(0.4)PbTiO₃ magnetoelectric ceramic as transducer has been tested. The voltage gain and the efficiency were determined as a function of the frequency and the load test resistance. A typical response, characteristic of bi-layered radial mode solid-state transformer, with a voltage gain of 2.5 at a load resistance of 7 kΩ, and an efficiency of 0.15 at load resistance 1 kΩ, were obtained. The results showed the feasibility of such multiferroic transformer for some practical smart and multifunctional devices applications.

KEYWORDS:

• Piezoelectric transformers
• multifunctional devices
• efficiency

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Brazilian agencies CNPq (proc. 305129/2010-4), FAPESP (proc. 2008/04025-0), Fundação Araucária de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Paraná (Prots. 22825 and 22870), and CAPES (PROCAD 082/2007) for financial support. LFC also acknowledge UTSA under the INAMM/NSF program for hosting him.