PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER ANALYSIS USING THE TRANSFER MATRIX METHOD AND A VERSATILE COMPUTER CODE: ASTRE

The analysis of many transducers used in underwater acoustics, macrosonics, acoustical imaging, or nondestructive testing can be performed under a classical plane-wave assumption using transfer matrix method. A versatile computer code, ASTRE, uses this method. In the mathematical model, the transducer is split into homogeneous elastic or piezoelectric blocks which are assembled, either in series or in parallel. Internal losses are included and various terminal radiation or mechanical impedances are available. Depending upon the use, the harmonic analysis provides the displacement, strain, and stress fields as well as the electrical impedance, the source level, or the reception sensitivity.