Simulation of square diaphragm as substrate for nanostructured thin film underwater acoustic transducers

Acoustic transducers in general and hydrophones in particular are incorporating novel nanostructured materials as piezoelectric electroacoustic transduction mechanisms. One of the first steps in the design of this kind of sensors is to determine the resonance frequency of the potential substrate. The results of modal analysis for three potential material substrates with different thicknesses for depositing nanostructured thin films is presented. Cloud Finite Element Analysis platform was used to calculate the resonant frequencies. A square diaphragm of 20 mm per side made of 0.127 mm thickness PET shows a first resonant frequency vibrating in vacuum and without considering damping effects from a fluid structure interaction is 0.84 kHz, which is in the desired region of operation for detecting underwater objects operating at frequencies below 1 kHz.