Design optimization of a Class VII Flextensional Transducer

Class VII Flextensional Transducers (FTs) have been proposed as a means of overcoming the limitation of very high prestress in Class IV FTs. These transducers are made from shells shaped like dog bone and hence are also known as dog-bone shell transducers. In this work, we report design optimization of a low frequency aluminum shell Class VII FT, resonating at 2.5 kHz, using piezoelectric drive. Two and three dimensional Finite Element Modeling (FEM), with the help of a commercially available package ATILA have been used for the design optimization. Dimensional details of the base model have been adapted from previous literature. Parametric analyses have been done with respect to various aspects like type of rubber, shell height, shell material, etc. in order to optimize the design. Experimental results obtained from an initial prototype are also presented. The results match fairly well with the predicted values.