Engineering Physics-I

Ultrasonics-Piezo-electric effect- piezo-electric generator

Introduction
Can all the crystals exhibit piezoelectric effect? What is special about the piezoelectric crystal? Is the piezoelectric effect direction dependent?

Learning Objectives
On completion of this chapter you will be able to !" #" %" '" define piezoelectric effect define in$erse piezoelectric effect &now what type of crystals will exhibit piezoelectric effect (nderstand the wor&ing of piezoelectric generator

Piezoelectric effect:
When crystals li&e )uartz or tourmaline are stressed along any pair of opposite faces* electric charges of opposite polarity are induced in the opposite faces perpendicular to the stress" +his is &nown as Piezoelectric effect"

Unstressed Quartz Compressive stress + + Stressed Quartz -

No charges induced

Charges induced in one wa

Tensile stress Stressed Quartz + + +

Charges induced in the other wa

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Engineering Physics-I

Ultrasonics-Piezo-electric effect- piezo-electric generator

Piezoelectric effect- !echanis":

Piezoelectric and in$erse piezoelectric effects are only exhibited by certain crystals which lac& centre of symmetry" In a piezoelectric crystal* the positi$e and negati$e electrical charges are separated* but symmetrically distributed* so that the crystal o$erall is electrically neutral" Each of these sides forms an electric dipole and dipoles near each other tend to be aligned in regions called Weiss domains" +he domains are usually randomly oriented* but can be aligned during poling * a process by which a strong electric field is applied across the material* usually at ele$ated temperatures" When a mechanical stress is applied* this symmetry is disturbed* and the charge asymmetry generates a $oltage across the material" 0or example* a ! cm cube of )uartz with # &/ 1233 lbf4 of correctly applied force can produce a $oltage of !#*233 5" Piezoelectric materials also show the opposite effect* called converse #inverse$ piezoelectric effect* where the application of an electrical field creates mechanical deformation in the crystal"

Inverse piezoelectric effect:

When an alternating e"m"f is applied to the opposite faces of a )uartz or tourmaline crystal it undergoes contraction and expansion alternati$ely in the perpendicular direction" +his is &nown as in$erse piezoelectric effect" +his is made use of in the piezoelectric generator"

Non-electrified Quartz

It e%periences neither contraction nor e%pansion

Contraction + + Electrified Quartz It e%periences contraction e&uivalent to co"pressive forces acting on the faces nor"al to the charge induced faces

Expansion Electrified Quartz + + +

It e%periences e%pansion e&uivalent to tensile forces acting on the faces nor"al to the charge induced faces

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Engineering Physics-I

Ultrasonics-Piezo-electric effect- piezo-electric generator

Piezoelectric generator:
6 slab of piezoelectric crystal is ta&en and using this a parallel plate capacitor is made" +hen with other electronic components an electronic oscillator is designed to produce electrical oscillations . #3 &7z" 8enerally one can generate ultrasonic wa$es of the order of ,7z using piezoelectric generators" 9uartz slabs are preferred because it possesses rare physical and chemical properties" 6 typical circuit diagram is gi$en below" +he tan& circuit has a $ariable capacitor :C: and an inductor :;: which decides the fre)uency of the electrical oscillations" When the circuit is closed current rushes through the tan& circuit and the capacitor is charged* after fully charged no current passes through the same" +hen the capacitor starts discharging through the inductor and hence the electric energy is in the form of electric and magnetic fields associated with the capacitor and the inductor respecti$ely" +hus we get electrical oscillations in the tan& circuit and with the help of the other electronic components including a transistor* electrical oscillations are produced continuously" +his is fed to the secondary circuit and the piezoelectric crystal 1in our case a slab of suitably cut )uartz crystal4 $ibrates* as it is continuously sub<ected to $arying 1alternating4 electric field* and produces sound wa$es" When the fre)uency of electrical oscillations is in the ultrasonic range then ultrasonic wa$es are generated" When the fre)uency of oscillation is matched with the natural fre)uency of the piezoelectric slab then it will $ibrate with maximum amplitude" +he fre)uency generated is gi$en as follows

f=

p 2l

E where p = !* #* %* """* l is the thic&ness of the

piezoelectric plate* E- the >oung:s modulus of the piezoelectric material and ?- the density of the piezoelectric material

Chec' our understanding

!" Choose the right answer from the options gi$en below +he following crystals show piezoelectric effect a4 /aCl b4 @arium +itanate c4 Aiamond d4 9uartz

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Engineering Physics-I

Ultrasonics-Piezo-electric effect- piezo-electric generator

#"

Btate if the following statement is true or false? One can generate ultrasonic wa$es of fre)uency f* #f* """* where f is the fundamental fre)ency a4 +rue b4 0alse

%" Btate if the following statement is true or false? +he magnitude of the Piezoelectric effect of a crystalline material does not depend on direction a4 +rue b4 0alse '" Btate if the following statement is true or false? +he Piezoelectric effect of a material is something to do with the crystal symmetry a4 +rue b4 0alse 2" Btate if the following statement is true or false? +he Piezoelectric effect of a material depends on its crystal structure a4 +rue b4 0alse

(u""ar
On completion of this chapter you ha$e learned !" #" %" '" piezoelectric effect and in$erse 1con$erse4 piezoelectric effect" the type of crystals showing piezoelectric effect" principle of piezoelectric oscillator" Wor&ing of piezoelectric oscillator"

)ctivit
Btudents can read standard texts or browse the net and read the rele$ant material before coming to the class" +hey can discuss extra points not co$ered during the lectures" +hey can find the actual wor&ing circuit for the piezoelectric oscillator 1generator4 to generate ultrasonic wa$es"

(uggested *eading
!" Engineering Physics by P"C"Palanisamy 1Bcitech publications4 2. http DDen"wi&ipedia"orgDwi&iDpiezoelectric

)nswers to C+U,
!" b*dE #" aE %" bE '" aE 2" a

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