Measurement stability of oil filled flexural ultrasonic transducers across sequential in-situ pressurization cycles

Feeney, A. , Somerset, W. E., Adams, S., Hafezi, M., Kang, L. and Dixon, S. (2024) Measurement stability of oil filled flexural ultrasonic transducers across sequential in-situ pressurization cycles. IEEE Sensors Journal, 24(4), pp. 4281-4289. (doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2023.3346213)

Abstract

Recently, flexural ultrasonic transducers for ultrasound measurement towards 200 bar were demonstrated, overcoming the major limitation of commercial variants associated with pressure imbalances due to their rear seals. One solution is through venting approaches, and another is introducing an incompressible fluid to the transducer’s interior, thus creating a pressure balance across the vibrating plate. However, this approach has not been validated for repeated pressurization cycles consistent with practical industrial applications. Here, the structural resilience and dynamic responses of oil filled flexural ultrasonic transducers towards 200 bar are investigated through finite element and experimental methods, including electrical impedance and pitch-catch measurements. Sequential pressurization and depressurization cycles are applied, where the relationship between dynamic response and pressure level is monitored, and the transducer is assessed for its potential longevity in performance. The results demonstrate that via an incompressible fluid in the sensor cavity, stable and reliable ultrasound measurements, across frequency, electrical impedance, and amplitude, are possible across multiple pressurization and depressurization cycles towards 200 bar, where associated pulse envelopes can be used to directly correlate with the environmental pressure level.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under Grant EP/N025393/1 and Grant EP/V049658/1.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Feeney, Dr Andrew and Hafezi, Dr Mahshid and Adams, Sam
• Authors: Feeney, A., Somerset, W. E., Adams, S., Hafezi, M., Kang, L., and Dixon, S.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering; College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Journal Name: IEEE Sensors Journal
• Publisher: IEEE
• ISSN: 1530-437X
• ISSN (Online): 1558-1748
• Published Online: 29 December 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 IEEE
• First Published: First published in IEEE Sensors Journal 24(4): 4281-4289
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
312010		Establishing adaptive ultrasonics through shape memory materials	Andrew Feeney	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/V049658/1	ENG - Systems Power & Energy