Analysis of a barrel-stave flextensional transducer using MAVART (model to analyze the vibrations and acoustic radiation of transducers) and ATILA (analysis of transducers by integration of LAplace equations) finite-element codes

A small barrel-stave flextensional transducer, designed and tested at Defence Research and Development Canada—Atlantic, is a candidate sound source for underwater coastal surveillance and acoustic communications applications. This high-power transducer has an outside diameter, length, and mass of 5.7 cm, 12.7 cm, and 1.1 kg, respectively. The measured fundamental flexural resonance frequency was 1.8 kHz with a transmitting voltage response of 118 dB/1μPa-m/V and an omnidirectional radiation pattern. Two finite-element models were developed for this transducer using the finite-element codes MAVART (Model to Analyze the Vibrations and Acoustic Radiation of Transducers) and ATILA (Analysis of Transducers by Integration of LAplace equations). Comparisons are made between the calibration measurements and the model predictions. [Work supported in part by Sensor Technology Limited.]