Characterization of Explosively Driven Ferroelectric Generator Material

Explosively driven ferroelectric generators (FEGs) are reliable, compact, high voltage sources for driving ultra-compact high power devices. When energized by mechanical stress, they release charge from their crystal structure, acting similar to a charged high voltage capacitor. However, due to the relatively low energy of these devices, they must be well matched to their application so that the full potential of the material can be utilized. This requires proper characterization of the material's electrical output as a function of the input shockwave. HEM Technologies and Texas Tech University characterized a ferroelectric ceramic, EDO EC-64, for different pressures to determine possible loss mechanisms and its maximum output power and energy.