3-inch SONAR Countermeasure

A 3-inch form factor ADC MK-4 Mod 1 Countermeasure meeting the existing operational and environmental requirements would provide the Navy and the Countermeasure Program decreased lifecycle costs through reduced size, weight, and handling logistics. This size reduction can be accomplished through state-of-the-art transducer design and/or new and innovative drive material such as textured ceramics. PMN-PT textured ceramic has higher d-constants, lower compliance, greater coupling, and a higher maximum drive voltage per mil than standard PZT-8 material. Therefore, a transducer properly designed with textured ceramics will have greater Source Level, a wider bandwidth, a lower impedance, be smaller in volume, and lower in weight. The purpose of this SBIR Program is to develop, fabricate, test, and demonstrate a transducer that uses textured ceramic material for transduction that will be capable of mounting into a 3 inch acoustic countermeasure. The device will produce the same required source level and broad bandwidth with less and smaller transducers than existing PZT designs. This relatively compact, high-power transducer will be capable of being configured into an internally launched countermeasure as well as other applications for both the Naval and commercial markets including sonobuoys, acoustic communications, and oceanographic research.