Development of a PVDF needle-type hydrophone for measuring ultrasonic fields

The development of a needle-type ultrasonic hydrophone using piezoelectric polymer material as the sensing element is presented. The main types of hydrophones employed for measuring the ultrasonic field are described. The basic design is presented, and so are the main modifications needed to make possible the hydrophone fabrication considering the available resources and facilities. The manufacturing methods and materials employed during the fabrication phases are then presented with respect to the main design components. Finally, a set of laboratory tank tests were run to evaluate some characteristics of the hydrophone manufactured. The laboratory results match with theoretical predicted analysis from the literature.