Abstract
A split beam ultrasonic transducer operating at a frequency of 70 kHz to use in the fish sizing echo sounder was developed and the acoustic radiation characteristics were experimentally analyzed. The amplitude shading method utilizing the properties of the Chebyshev polynomials was used to obtain side lobe levels below -20 dB and to optimize the relationship between main beam width and side lobe level of the transducer, and the amplitude shading coefficient to each of the elements was achieved by changing the amplitude contribution of elements with 4 weighting transformers embodied in the planar array transducer assembly. The planar array split beam transducer assembly was composed of 36 piezoelectric ceramics (NEPEC N-21, Tokin) of rod type of 10 mm in diameter and 18.7 mm in length of 70 kHz arranged in the rectangular configuration, and the 4 electrical inputs were supplied to the beamformer. A series of impedance measurements were conducted to check the uniformity of the individual quadrants, and also in the configurations of reception and transmission, resonant frequency, and the transmitting and receiving characteristics were measured in the water tank and analyzed, respectively. The results obtained are summarized as follows : 1. Average resonant and antiresonant frequencies of electrical impedance for four quadrants of the split beam transducer in water were 69.8 kHz and 83.0 kHz, respectively. Average electrical impedance for each individual transducer quadrant was 49.2$\Omega$ at resonant frequency and 704.7$\Omega$ at antiresonant frequency. 2. The resonance peak in the transmitting voltage response (TVR) for four quadrants of the split beam transducer was observed all at 70.0 kHz and the value of TVR was all about 165.5 dB re 1 $\mu$Pa/V at 1 m at 70.0 kHz with bandwidth of 10.0 kHz between -3 dB down points. The resonance peak in the receiving sensitivity (SRT) for four combined quadrants (quad LU+LL, quad RU+RL, quad LU+RU, quad LL+RL) of the split beam transducer was observed all at 75.0 kHz and the value of SRT was all about -177.7 dB re 1 V/$\mu$Pa at 75.0 kHz with bandwidth of 10.0 kHz between -3 dB down points. The sum beam transmitting voltage response and receiving senstivity was 175.0 dB re 1$\mu$Pa/V at 1 m at 75.0 kHz with bandwidth of 10.0 kHz, respectively. 3. The sum beam of split beam transducer was approximately circular with a half beam angle of $9.0^\circ$ at -3 dB points all in both axis of the horizontal plane and the vertical plane. The first measured side lobe levels for the sum beam of split beam transducer were -19.7 dB at $22^\circ$ and -19.4 dB at $-26^\circ$ in the horizontal plane, respectively and -20.1 dB at $22^\circ$ and -22.0 dB at $-26^\circ$ in the vertical plane, respectively. 4. The developed split beam transducer was tested to estimate the angular position of the target in the beam through split beam phase measurements, and the beam pattern loss for target strength corrections was measured and analyzed.
체장어군탐지기(fish sizing echo sounder) 의송.수파기로서 사용하기 위한 split beam 음향 변환기를 개발하기 위한 시도로서, Dolph Chebyshev배열 기법을 이용하여 36개의 압전 진동소자에 진폭 가중치를 부여한 평면배열 음향 변환기를 설계.제작하고, 이 변환기의 수중음향방사 특성에 대해 분석.고찰한 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. split beam 음향 변환기의 4 개의 독립적인 진동자 블록에 대한 수중에서의 평균적인 공진 및 반공진 주파수는 각각 69.8 kHz. 83.0 kHz이었고, 이들 공진과 반공진 주파수에서의 임피던스는 49.2$\omaga$. 704.7$\omaga$이었다. 음향변환기의 4 개의 모든 진동자 블록 (sum beam)에 대한 수중에서의 공진 및 반공진 주파수는 각각 71.4 kHz, 82.1kHz이었고. 이들 공진과 반공진 주파수에서의 임피던스는 15.2$\omaga$, 17.3$\omaga$이었다. 2 split beam 음향 변환기의 4 개의 독립적인 진동자 블록에 대한 최대 송파전압감도(TVR)는 공통적으로 70.0 kHz에서 165.5 dB이었고, -3 dB 점에 대한 송신 주파수 대역폭은 10.0 kHz이었다. 또한. split beam 음향 변환기의 4 개의 조합된 진동자 블록에 대한 최대 수파감도(SRT)는 공통적으로 75.0 kHz에서 -177.5 dB이었고, -3 dB 점에 대한 수신 주파수 대역폭은 10.0 kHz이었다. 3.split beam 음향 변환기의 모든 진동자 블록에 대한 송신 지향성패턴은 원형이었고, -3 dB점에 대한 수평 및 수직방향에 대한 반감각(half beam angle)은 공통적으로 $9.0^\circ$이었다. 또한. 수평방향에 대한 제 1차 부엽 준위는 $22^\circ$및 $-26^\circ$에서 각각 -19.7 dB. -19.4 dB이었고. 수직방향에 대한 제1차 부엽 준위는 $22^\circ$및 $-26^\circ$에서 각각 -20.1 dB, -22.0 dB로서 설계 목표치 -20 dB과 매우 유사한 값을 나타내었다. 4.split beam 음향 변환기의 송파응답파형과 수파응답파형은 각각 송신 및 수신 공진주파수 부근인 70.0 kHz와 75.0 kHz에서 전기 입력펄스파형과 가장 유사한 특성을 나타내었다. 5. 본 연구에서 설계, 개발한 split beam 음향 변환기의 성능을 분석하기 위해 반사강도 보정을 위한 지향성손실과 물표의 위치각을 추정하기 위한 실험을 행한 결과 실험적으로 추정한 위치각은 실제적인 위치각과 잘 일치하였다.