Loss mechanisms and high power piezoelectrics

Heat generation is one of the significant problems in piezoelectrics for high power density applications. In this paper, we review the loss mechanisms in piezoelectrics first, followed by the heat generation processes for various drive conditions. Heat generation at off-resonance is caused mainly by dielectric loss tan δ′ (i.e., P-E hysteresis loss), not by mechanical loss, while the heat generation at resonance is mainly attributed to mechanical loss tan φ′. Then, practical high power materials developed at Penn State is introduced, which exhibit the vibration velocity more than 1 m/s, leading to the power density capability 10 times of the commercially available “hard” PZTs. We propose a internal bias field model to explain the low loss and high power origin of these materials. Finally, using a low temperature sinterable “hard” PZT, we demonstrated a high power multilayer piezoelectric transformers.