Compact High-Power Electronic Components

The DOD has identified a need for high power broadband hybrid transducer arrays for use in surface ship sonar systems. The hybrid transducer design incorporates both magnetostrictive and piezoelectric elements into a novel double-resonant system thatprovides a previously unattainable bandwidth and power combination. The device currently incorporates laminated Terfenol-D materials for the magnetostrictive drive element. However, the laminating approach limits the design scope of the transducer devicedue to both limitations in lamination thickness (bandwidth) and stiffness properties available. These limitations can be overcome by replacing the laminated Terfenol-D elements with a robust magnetostrictive particulate composite assemblage described inthis proposal.Development of magnetostrictive material that has tunable stiffness properties and large piezomagnetic coefficients. Commercial applications include sonar and hybrid sonar devices.