Numerical study of the cross-talk effects in acoustical transducer arrays and correction

Abstract

Cross-talk in acoustical transducer arrays is an undesirable phenomenon which decreases seriously the performances of these arrays. Indeed, when one element of the array is driven, it generates parasitic displacement fields at the radiating surfaces of the neighboring elements, which changes the directivity of the antenna. To well understand this phenomenon a transducer array similar to those used in medical imaging and NDT applications was modelled by finite element method. The research work investigated systematically the effects of the cross-talk. Firstly, it inspected the acoustical and mechanical cross-talk throughout the propagating medium and the filling material. Secondly, it studied the influence of the matching layer on the acoustical performances of the transducer. It was shown that the filling material and the matching layer are the major factors contributing to this phenomenon. In order to cancel the cross-talk a correction method previously developed by the author has been used. This solution consisted in applying adapted electrical voltages on each neighboring element of the active one in the purpose to reduce the displacement field on their active surface. This method was tested numerically and the obtained results clearly demonstrated its ability to reduce the cross-talk.

Research and Modeling of Mechanical Crosstalk in Linear Arrays of Ultrasonic Transducers

“…In terms of this work the simulation was made in the advanced COM-SOL Multiphysics commercial software, in Acoustic-Piezoelectric Interaction (Transient). There is a relatively small number of publications related to simulation of crosstalk in ultrasonic arrays using FEM, and the older ones present their own complex mathematical models, and only later ones use advanced, commercially available software packages(Abboud et al, 1998;Acevedo et al, 2015;Bayram et al, 2006;Bybi et al, 2013;Domínguez, Contla, 2013;Lamberti, 1999;Wilm et al, 2004;Zhou et al, 2003). The developed models of the array of piezoelectric transducers to simulate the crosstalk in COMSOL software: a) complete with supporting transducers, b) complete without supporting transducers, c) incomplete, with supporting transducers.…”