Piezoelectric Gauges for Measuring Rapidly Varying Pressures up to Seven Kilobars

Abstract

Bar‐type piezoelectric gauges have been designed which permit the measurement of pressures in excess of the breaking stress of the piezoelectric element. The principle involved is the use of the acoustic mismatch of two dissimilar metals to reduce the pressure on the piezoelectric element. The three types of gauges described here measure pressure pulses with amplitudes up to 3.6, 5.3, and 6.8 kilobars and with rise times as short as 3 μsec. In each type, 260 μsec elapse between the initial pulse and the first reflected pulse.