Design of a Low Frequency, Wideband Tonpilz Transducer for Sonar Applications

Tonpilz transducers are the most widely used transducers for sonar applications due to their good acoustic performance, simple construction, ease of array formation and long service life. However, the large size and mass required for low-frequency transducers limit their typical use to frequencies above 2 kHz. Another limitation is its low bandwidth. In this paper, an attempt is made to design a transducer with a resonance frequency of 1 kHz and a source level of 190 dB or more with a useful bandwidth of more than two octaves. The finite element method is used to model the transducer and to study the effect of important parameters on Transmitting Voltage Response (TVR). Based on the study an optimum design is proposed. The studies reveal that the dimensions of the piezoceramic stack and head mass significantly affect TVR.