A study of deepwater bender disk transducer

Abstract

The bender disc transducer is a kind of low frequency sound source which is widely used in the sonobuoy and disposable underwater acoustic countermeasure equipment. It has the characteristics of low frequency, small size, simple structure and is light in weight. Traditional bender disc transducers with a cavity structure are not suitable in deep water resistance. In order to solve this problem, a free flooded structure is used in the bender disc transducer-which has a hole opening around the ring cavity structure without changing the external volume of the transducer. The water can thus enter the transducer, which greatly improves traditional bender disc transducer performance in deep water resistance. The acoustic properties of the deep water bender disc transducer are analyzed by using ANSYS finite element software The influences of its structural dimensions on the transducer resonant frequency and on the maximum transmitting voltage response are calculated. On the basis of the analysis, the structural parameters of the prototype transducer are determined and the performances of a virtual transducer are simulated and calculated. Finally, according to the simulation results of the software, the bender disc transducer is processed and manufactured. In conclusion its properties are tested. By the prototype performance test of the bender disk transducer, it is known that the resonant frequency is 5590Hz in air; the resonance frequency is 2000Hz in water; the radial maximum transmitting voltage response level(TVR} is 113.9dB (//μPa-m); and, the -3dB bandwidth of the transmitting voltage response curve can cover 1.9kHz to 2.2kHz. The axial maximum transmitting voltage response level is 115.8dB (//μPa-m); and, the -3dB bandwidth of the transmitting voltage response curve can cover 1.9kHz to 204kHz.