• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.117-129
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• 2015

A parametric array is a nonlinear phenomenon that generates a narrow beam of low-frequency sound using the nonlinearity of the medium. The low-frequency sound so generated has a low sound pressure compared with that of sound generated directly. Consequently, a transducer that can generate a primary wave with high directivity and level is required. This study designed, fabricated, and evaluated a multi-resonance transducer as a parametric array source. The designs of the unit transducers and array transducer were based on an analysis model. The design process was repeated to fabricate the optimum transducer. The fabricated transducer array can generate a 189 dB, 190 dB primary wave level at 6.3 m and a 134 dB difference frequency wave using the parametric array phenomenon. The difference frequency wave has a frequency of 15 kHz and high directivity with an $8^{\circ}$ half power beam width in a $12{\times}18{\times}10m$ water tank.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea TC
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2011

In the underwater communications, transmitted acoustic signal is corrupted by interference from multipath. A parametric array transducer is capable of radiating a narrow beam with very low sidelobe levels. In certain cases, the parametric array transducer can help the multipath problem. To improve the performance of the underwater communications, the statistical signal processing methods will be required. In the paper, the communication system using a parametric array transducer was demonstrated. To detect the received signal of the communication system based on the on-off keying, the maximum likelihood method using averaged signal for a particular window size is used. The communication system has GUI using LebVIEW which allows the user to change the parameter. The GUI can also be easily modified based on the characteristics of a parametric array transducer. The implemented system can effectively evaluate the performance of the parametric array transducer.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
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• 2013.11a
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• pp.29-30
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• 2013

본 논문에서는 수중통신용 Parametric Array Transducer를 구동하기 위한 고효율 전력증폭기를 제안한다. 수중전력증폭기는 증폭부와 전원부로 나뉘며 증폭부는 Class B push-pull type의 전력증폭기를 사용하며 전력증폭기 구동을 위한 전원부는 기존의 일정전압이 아닌 가변전압을 얻는 Phase-shifted PWM AC/DC 컨버터를 사용하여 고효율로 동작한다. 증폭부는 Class B push-pull type 증폭기를 사용함으로써 뛰어난 선형성이 보장되며 전원 또한 ET(Envelope Tracking)기술을 적용한 가변전압 AC/DC컨버터를 사용하여 고효율로 동작한다. 본 논문에서는 고 효율 수중전력증폭기와 가변전압 AC/DC컨버터의 전력회로를 제시하고 시뮬레이션과 실험을 통하여 특성을 확인하였으며, 수중음향센서를 위한 전력증폭기로 유용하게 사용 될 것을 예상한다.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.287-293
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• 2013

We present a parametric array signal generating system using $3{\times}16$ transducer array which is composed of multi-resonant frequency transducers of 20kHz and 32.5kHz. To drive transducer array, sixteen channel amplifier using LM1875 chips is designed and implemented, and the PXI system based on the LabView 8.6 for arbitrary signal generation and analysis is used. Using the proposed system, we measure sound pressure level and beam pattern of difference frequency and verify the nonlinear effect of difference frequency. The theoretical absorption range and the Rayleigh distance are 15.51m and 1.933m, respectively and we verify that sound pressure of difference frequency is accumulated and increased at the near-field shorter than the Rayleigh distance. We verify that the beam pattern of the measured difference frequency and the beam pattern obtained by the superposition of two primary frequencies are similar, and high directional parametric signal was generated.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.364-375
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• 2014

Parametric array transducers are used for long-range and highly directional communication in an underwater environments. The power amplifiers for parametric array transducers should have sufficient linear output characteristic and high efficiency to avoid communication errors, system heating, and fuel problems. But the conventional power amplifier with fixed source voltage is very low efficient due to large power loss by the big difference between the fixed source voltage and the amplifier output voltage. Thus to solve the problems this paper proposes the high efficiency power amplifier for parametric array transducers. The proposed power amplifier ensures high linearity of output characteristic by utilizing the push-pull class B type amplifier and furthermore gets high efficiency by applying the envelope tracking technique that variable source voltage tracks the envelope of the amplified signal. Also the paper suggests the detailed circuit topology and design guideline of class B push-pull type amplifier and variable output voltage AC/DC converter. Its characteristics are verified by the detailed simulation and experimental results.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.768-773
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• 2009

This paper demonstrates the digital communication in air using the parametric array. The stepped-plate transducer which is suitable for high-power and high-efficient radiation is used to generate the difference frequency wave with the parametric array. The primary frequencies are selected to 83 kHz and 122 kHz and the resulting difference frequency wave at the frequency of 39 kHz is used for the communication. The modulation method is selected to On-Off Keying method. The waveform and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is measured and analyzed to see the characteristics of the digital communication using the parametric array. The proper distance for the communication using parametric array is about 3 m. The measured beam width of the 3dB SNR reduction was $14^{\circ}$. The possibility of the communication in air using the parametric array is confirmed and the high directional characteristic of the communication using the parametric array is expected to have the advantages for the multi path and the security problems.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2014

In this paper, we propose an threshold-based Schur algorithm for estimating the media characteristics of sub-bottom multi-layers by using the signal generated by a parametric array transducer. We use the KZK model to generate a parametric array signal, and use the proposed threshold-based Schur algorithm for estimating the reflection coefficients of multiple sea bottom layers. Using computer simulation, we verify that the difference frequency component generated by the KZK model prevails over the signals of primary frequencies at long range. For the simulation, we use the transmit signal generated by the KZK and the reflected signal obtained from a lattice filter model for the seawater and sub-bottom of multi-level non-homogeneous layers. Through the simulation, we verify that the proposed threshold-based Schur algorithm can give much more accurate and efficient estimates of the reflection coefficients than methods using received signal, matched filter output signal, and normal Schur algorithm output.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.294-300
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• 2013

In this paper, we present performance analysis results of parametric array communication system in terms of theoretical BER and channel capacity of MIMO in underwater AWGN channel by using simplified SNR of difference frequency. The SNR of the difference frequency is calculated by using transmission loss, noise level, and source level of difference frequency in which nonlinear effect is considered. By assuming primary frequencies as 210 kHz and 190 kHz, difference frequency as 20 kHz, transducer diameter as 0.1 m, and noise level as 50 dB and the requested BER as $10^{-4}$, we obtain parametric array communication range gains over the communication system using primary frequency of 59.11 km in fresh water and 5 km in sea water, respectively. Also we obtain range gains of 38.84 km and 46.38 km in fresh water, and 3.88 km and 4.38 km in sea water when we use SISO and $2{\times}2$ MIMO parametric array communications for the channel capacity of 10 bps/Hz.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.3-9
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• 2012

In this paper, we present novel analysis results of sonar communication using parametric array. We consider transducer diameter, primary frequency, difference frequency and acoustic power as analysis parameters of communication performance. We calculate theoretical BER(Bit Error Rate) and channel capacity of MIMO(Multi Input and Multi Output) communication system. By considering practical parameters, we obtain optimum difference frequency generation condition. The obtained primary frequency is 560 kHz, difference frequency 45kHz and acoustic power is 28.05Watt. For BER of $10^{-4}$, the range gain of parametric array communication is 3.35km compared to primary frequency communication. For channel capacity of 10bps/Hz, the SISO and $2{\times}2$ MIMO communication range of parametric array communication are 3.8km and 3.98km respectively, while primary frequency communication range is 0.83km.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
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• 2015.07a
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• pp.149-150
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• 2015

압전 마이크로머신 초음파 트랜스듀서(Piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducers)는 DC 바이어스 전압을 인가해야 구동되는 특성을 가지고 있다. 따라서 초음파 트랜스 듀서를 구동하기 위한 전력증폭기는 DC 바이어스 전압이 요구되므로 기존의 전력증폭기에 비해 효율이 매우 낮아지게 된다. 이를 해결하기 위해 본 논문에서는 압전 마이크로머신 초음파 트랜스듀서를 구동하기 위한 고효율 전력증폭기를 제안한다. 전력증폭기는 AMP부와 전원부로 나뉘며, AMP부는 Class B Amp를 사용하여 높은 증폭 선형성을 갖는다. 전원부는 Amp를 구동하기위한 DC-DC converter가 에너지 회수 동작을 하므로 전력증폭기의 효율을 높일 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 압전 마이크로머신 초음파 트랜스듀서를 구동하기 위한 전력증폭기 회로를 제시하고 시뮬레이션과 실험을 통해 동작 특성을 검증한다.