Flexural and transversal wave motion in homogeneous isotropic thermoelastic plates by using asymptotic method

The present investigation is concerned with the flexural and transversal wave motion in an infinite, transversely isotropic, thermoelastic plate by asymptotic method. The governing equations for the flexural and transversal motions have been derived from the system of three-dimensional dynamical equations of linear theory of coupled thermoelasticity. The asymptotic operator plate model for free vibrations; both flexural and transversal, in a homogenous thermoelastic plate leads to fifth degree and cubic polynomial secular equations, respectively, that governs frequency and phase velocity of various possible modes of wave propagation at all wavelengths. All the coefficients of differential operator have been expressed as explicit functions of the material parameters. The velocity dispersion equations for the flexural and transversal wave motion have been deduced from the three-dimensional analog of Rayleigh-Lamb frequency equation for thermoelastic plate waves. The approximations for long and short waves and expression for group velocity have also been derived. The thermoelastic Rayleigh-Lamb frequency equations for the considered plate are expanded in power series in order to obtain polynomial frequency and velocity dispersion relations whose equivalence is established with that of asymptotic method. The dispersion curves for phase velocity, group velocity and attenuation coefficient of various flexural and transversal wave modes are shown graphically for aluminum-epoxy material elastic and thermoelastic plates.     

An analogy between free vibration of a plate and of a particle of mass

In this paper, the free flexural vibration of an elastic circular thin plate with an initial imperfection is investigated. Approximate solution of the problem for the fundamental frequency of vibration, of large amplitude and with the plate imperfection, leads to a non-linear ordinary differential equation with time as the independent variable. It is shown that this equation also represents the free vibration of a particle of mass on a shallow curve of fourth degree.. With this similarity in view, it is possible to draw an analogy between these two vibrations. A numerical analysis is made with particular reference to this analogy and the results are given in various figures which represent the vibratory motion and the period of vibration versus the initial amplitude of the plate or of the particle of mass.     

Generalized thermoelastic extensional and flexural wave motions in homogenous isotropic plate by using asymptotic method

In this paper the asymptotic method has been applied to investigate propagation of generalized thermoelastic waves in an infinite homogenous isotropic plate. The governing equations for the extensional, transversal and flexural motions are derived from the system of three-dimensional dynamical equations of linear theories of generalized thermoelasticity. The asymptotic operator plate model for extensional and flexural free vibrations in a homogenous thermoelastic plate leads to sixth and fifth degree polynomial secular equations, respectively. These secular equations govern frequency and phase velocity of various possible modes of wave propagation at all wavelengths. The velocity dispersion equations for extensional and flexural wave motion are deduced from the three-dimensional analog of Rayleigh-Lamb frequency equation for thermoelastic plate. The approximation for long and short waves along with expression for group velocity has also been obtained. The Rayleigh-Lamb frequency equations for the considered plate are expanded in power series in order to obtain polynomial frequency and velocity dispersion relations and its equivalence established with that of asymptotic method. The numeric values for phase velocity, group velocity and attenuation coefficients has also been obtained using MATHCAD software and are shown graphically for extensional and flexural waves in generalized theories of thermoelastic plate for solid helium material.     

Flexural wave motion in beam-type disordered periodic systems: Coincidence phenomenon and sound radiation

This paper deals with flexural wave motion in uniform beam-type periodic systems whose repeating units are identical finite beams with multiple beam-length disorders. A general expression derived for the propagation constants has been employed to study its variation with frequency for a beam system having 4-span disordered repeating units. This is helpful in understanding flexural wave motion in disordered periodic beams. Free flexural waves have been studied as wave groups consisting of a large number of harmonic components of different wavelengths, phase velocities and directions. Phase velocities have been computed and plotted for different frequencies in the propagation zones in which the free waves progress without attenuation. This has been found to be useful in understanding and predicting the coincidence phenomenon in disordered periodic beams under convected pressure field loading. The excitation of wave groups in disordered periodic beam-type systems by a slow (subsonic) convecting pressure field can include fast (supersonic) moving flexural wave components which can radiate sound. It has been pointed out that sound radiation from a disordered periodic beam (or plate) can be quite different as compared to that from a periodic beam under similar convected pressure field loading.     

Are there waves in elastic wave turbulence?

An thin elastic steel plate is excited with a vibrator and its local velocity displays a turbulentlike Fourier spectrum. This system is believed to develop elastic wave turbulence. We analyze here the motion of the plate with a two-point measurement in order to check, in our real system, a few hypotheses required for the Zakharov theory of weak turbulence to apply. We show that the motion of the plate is indeed a superposition of bending waves following the theoretical dispersion relation of the linear wave equation. The nonlinearities seem to efficiently break the coherence of the waves so that no modal structure is observed. Several hypotheses of the weak turbulence theory seem to be verified, but nevertheless the theoretical predictions for the wave spectrum are not verified experimentally.     

Elastic nonlinearity parameters of tetragonal crystals

The equations of motion for the propagation of finite amplitude elastic waves in crystals of tetragonal symmetry have been derived starting from the expression for the elastic strain energy. The equations have been solved for a finite amplitude sinusoidal wave propagating along the pure mode directions which are [100], [110] and [001] for the tetragonal group TI. The solutions corresponding to longitudinal wave propagation yield expressions for the amplitudes of the fundamental and generated second harmonic for these directions in terms of certain combinations of second and third order elastic constants of the medium. The results will aid the experimenter to determine these constants using ultrasonic harmonic generation technique.     

Controlling flexural waves in thin plates by using transformation acoustic metamaterials

In this study, we design periodic grille structures on a single homogenous thin plate to achieve anisotropic acoustic metamaterials that can control flexural waves. The metamaterials can achieve the bending control of flexural waves in a thin plate at will by designing only one dimension in the thickness direction, which makes it easier to use this metamaterial to design transformation acoustic devices. The numerical simulation results show that the metamaterials can accurately control the bending waves over a wide frequency range. The experimental results verify the validity of the theoretical analysis. This research provides a more practical theoretical method of controlling flexural waves in thin-plate structures.     

The scattering of flexural waves by random fractal inhomogeneities in a thin plate

The scattering of flexural waves by small statistical fractal inhomogeneities in a thin plate is considered. An expression for the average intensity of the fluctuations of the scattered wave field is obtained. A relation of the intensity to the plate parameters and to the fractal dimension of the inhomogeneities is determined. An expected frequency dependence of the attenuation of flexural waves in a plate due to the scattering by fractal inhomogeneities is discussed.     

Active control of the plate energy transmission in a semi-infinite ribbed plate

Active control of the plate flexural wave transmission through the beam in a semi-infinite beam-reinforced plate is analytically investigated. The ribbed plate is modeled as a continuous system, using equations of motion to describe the plate in flexure and the beam in both flexure and torsion. The maximum transmission of the plate flexural waves through the reinforcing beam is found to occur at resonance frequencies corresponding to the optimal coupling between the plate flexural waves and the flexural and torsional waves in the beam. A single control force is applied to the beam, and a cost function is developed to attenuate the far-field flexural energy transmission. It can be observed that the transmission peaks corresponding to the flexural resonances in the beam are reduced. Similarly, the transmission peaks corresponding to the torsional resonance conditions in the beam can be attenuated using a single control moment applied to the beam. Significant attenuation of all the resonance peaks in the flexural wave transmission can also be achieved with the application of a single force and a single moment collocated on the beam. In this paper, the feasibility of attenuating the flexural wave transmission due to both the flexural and torsional resonance conditions by using a single point force and point moment collocated on the beam is demonstrated.     

Experimental investigation of vibration power flow in thin technical orthotropic plates by the method of vibration intensity

Vibration intensity technique is used to measure vibration power transmission in thin single layer technical orthotropic plates for flexural waves. Measurement of flexural wave power is carried out in far-field conditions. All measurements are undertaken in the frequency domain using the cross-spectra of acceleration signals, facilitating the use of FFT analyzer. The two-transducer technique applicable to these plates is used for these measurements. Technical orthotropic (rectangular corrugation) plates of steel are used for the measurements. One isotropic plate of steel is also considered for comparison. Method of elastic equivalence technique is used. Both input power and vibration power transmission through the plates are estimated. Far-field power is normalized with the input power for flexural wave. Influence of flexural rigidity on vibration energy transfer is also investigated.     

Magnetoelectric effect in thin-film magnetostriction-piezoelectric structures grown on a substrate

The theory of the magnetoelectric effect in a thin magnetoelectric film-passive substrate structure is presented. Based on the simultaneous solution of the constitutive equations and the equations of motion for the film and substrate, the dispersion law has been derived for elastic waves propagating in the sample plane. It has been shown that the elastic vibrations in the substrate propagate in a near-surface layer if the velocity of propagation of elastic vibrations in the substrate is higher than that in the magnetoelectric film. In this case, the substrate thickness almost does not influence the magnitude of the effect.     

Relation for the amplitudes of acoustic waves excited by thin elastic plates

Relations between the amplitudes of acoustic waves excited by a thin elastic plate under the effect of external forces and the amplitudes of waves scattered by this plate are obtained. Two cases are considered: when the plate separates acoustic media filling two half-spaces and when it separates acoustic media filling an acoustic waveguide. The energy conservation law is used to derive the identities that determine the relations between the amplitudes of acoustic waves radiated by a thin elastic plate under the action of forces.     

T-matrix method formulation applied to the study of flexural waves scattering from a through obstacle in a plate

Elastic wave scattering in a flat thin plate hosting a through obstacle of arbitrary closed form is examined using a numerical technique based on the T-matrix approach, which is applied to describe of flexural waves in plates. The limiting cases of a hole and a rigid obstacle are considered. The vibrations of the plate are described by the Kirchhoff model. The far field backscattered amplitude as a function of wave frequency for inclusions of elliptic, triangular and square form with rounded corners is analysed numerically. Comparison of present results for circular obstacles with the analytical solutions obtained by other authors show excellent agreement.     

Flexural edge waves in semi-infinite elastic plates

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the dispersion for flexural edge waves in semi-infinite isotropic elastic plates. A solution to the dynamic equations of motion is constructed by the superposition of two partial solutions, each providing zero shear stresses at the plate faces. A dispersion equation is expressed via the determinant of an infinite system of linear algebraic equations. The system is reduced to a finite one by taking into account the asymptotic behaviour of unknown coefficients. The accuracy of the solution is confirmed by a good agreement with the available experimental data and by a proper satisfaction of the prescribed boundary conditions.A detailed analysis of dispersion properties for the edge wave and corresponding displacements at various frequencies is carried out. In addition to the well-known results it is shown that the plate height does not influence the existence of the edge wave at high frequencies and, as the frequency increases, the phase velocity of the edge wave in a semi-infinite plate asymptotically approaches the velocity of an edge wave in a right-angled wedge. The performed analysis allows evaluating the plate theories such as the Kirchhoff theory or other refined plate theories developed for modeling edge waves in semi-infinite elastic plates at low frequencies.     

Equivalent circuits and directivity patterns of air-coupled ultrasonic transducers

Air-coupled transducers for producing ultrasonic radiation in gases are studied. The transducer consists of a circular thin plate in flexural vibration and a sandwich longitudinal electromechanical vibrator that is attached to the center of the plate. The lowest-order axially symmetric flexural vibrational mode of a circular thin plate is analyzed. The equivalent circuits of the circular plate in flexural vibration and the compound transducer are presented and the frequency equation is derived. The radiated ultrasonic field of the circular thin plate in flexural vibration is calculated and the directivity pattern is obtained theoretically. Some transducers of this type are designed according to the frequency equation, and their resonance frequencies are measured. The measured resonance frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical results, and the calculated radiation ultrasonic field is also in good agreement with the measured results of a previous work.     

Study on the high power air-coupled ultrasonic compound transducer

The high power air-coupled compound ultrasonic transducer in flexural vibration is studied. The transducer consists of a sandwich longitudinal piezoelectric transducer and a circular thin plate in flexural vibration. The resonance frequency equation and the equivalent circuit of a circular radiator with clamped boundary condition are derived. The resonance frequency equation and the equivalent circuit of the compound transducer are also obtained. The radiated acoustic field of the circular thin plate radiator is analyzed and the directional pattern is calculated. It can be seen that when the vibrational order of the circular thin plate in flexural vibration is increased, the radiated acoustic field becomes complex.     

Scale effects on flexural wave propagation in nanoplate embedded in elastic matrix with initial stress

In this paper, the small-scale effects on the flexural wave in the nanoplate are studied. Based on the nonlocal continuum theory, the equation of wave motion is derived and the dispersion relation is presented. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the influences of the scale coefficient, the surrounding elastic matrix and the initial stress on the wave propagation properties. The results show that the nonlocal model provides an appropriate method to investigate the characteristics of the flexural wave in the nanoplate. Furthermore, the direction and amplitude of the biaxial load, the stiffness of the shearing layer and the Winkler foundation can change the wave properties, significantly.     

Coupled flexural-longitudinal wave motion in a periodic beam

Periodic structure theory is used to study the interactions between flexural and longitudinal wave motion in a beam (representing a plate) to which offset spring-mounted masses (representing stiffeners) are attached at regular intervals. An equation for the propagation constants of the coupled waves is derived. The response of a semi-infinite periodic beam to a harmonic force or moment at the finite end is analyzed in terms of the characteristic free waves corresponding to these propagation constants. Computer results are presented which show how the propagation constants are affected by the coupling, and how the forced response varies with distance from the excitation point. The spring-mounted masses can provide very high attenuation of both longitudinal and flexural waves when no coupling is present, but when coupling is introduced the two waves combine to give very low (or zero) attenuation of the longitudinal wave. The influence of different damping levels on spatial attenuation is also studied.     

Large amplitude vibration of an initially stressed moderately thick plate

Non-linear equations of motion for a transversely isotropic moderately thick plate in a general state of non-uniform initial stress where the effects of transverse shear and rotary inertia are included are derived. The large amplitude flexural vibration of a simply supported rectangular moderately thick plate subjected to initial stress is investigated. The initial stress is taken to be a combination of a pure bending stress plus an extensional stress in the plane of the plate. These equations are used to solve the vibrations problem by the Galerkin method. The effects of various parameters on the non-linear vibration frequencies are studied.