Love wave propagation in functionally graded piezoelectric material layer

An exact approach is used to investigate Love waves in functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) layer bonded to a semi-infinite homogeneous solid. The piezoelectric material is polarized in z-axis direction and the material properties change gradually with the thickness of the layer. We here assume that all material properties of the piezoelectric layer have the same exponential function distribution along the x-axis direction. The analytical solutions of dispersion relations are obtained for electrically open or short circuit conditions. The effects of the gradient variation of material constants on the phase velocity, the group velocity, and the coupled electromechanical factor are discussed in detail. The displacement, electric potential, and stress distributions along thickness of the graded layer are calculated and plotted. Numerical examples indicate that appropriate gradient distributing of the material properties make Love waves to propagate along the surface of the piezoelectric layer, or a bigger electromechanical coupling factor can be obtained, which is in favor of acquiring a better performance in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices.     

Bleustein-Gulyaev waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material layered structure

This work presents a theoretical study of the propagation behavior of Bleustein-Gulyaev waves in a layered structure consisting of a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) layer and a transversely isotropic piezoelectric substrate. The influence of the graded variation of FGPM coefficients on the dispersion relations of Bleustein-Gulyaev waves in the layered structure is investigated. It is demonstrated that, for a certain frequency range of Bleustein-Gulyaev waves, the mechanical perturbations of the particles are restricted in the FPGM layer and the phase velocity is independent of the electrical boundary conditions at the free surface. Results presented in this study can not only provide further insight on the electromechanical coupling behavior of surface waves in FGPM layered structures, but also lend a theoretical basis for the design of high-performance surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10632060), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB601202), the National 111 Project of China (Grant No. B06024), and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20070698064)     

Love waves in functionally graded piezoelectric materials by stiffness matrix method

A numerical matrix method relative to the propagation of ultrasonic guided waves in functionally graded piezoelectric heterostructure is given in order to make a comparative study with the respective performances of analytical methods proposed in literature. The preliminary obtained results show a good agreement, however numerical approach has the advantage of conceptual simplicity and flexibility brought about by the stiffness matrix method. The propagation behaviour of Love waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) is investigated in this article. It involves a thin FGPM layer bonded perfectly to an elastic substrate. The inhomogeneous FGPM heterostructure has been stratified along the depth direction, hence each state can be considered as homogeneous and the ordinary differential equation method is applied. The obtained solutions are used to study the effect of an exponential gradient applied to physical properties. Such numerical approach allows applying different gradient variation for mechanical and electrical properties. For this case, the obtained results reveal opposite effects. The dispersive curves and phase velocities of the Love wave propagation in the layered piezoelectric film are obtained for electrical open and short cases on the free surface, respectively. The effect of gradient coefficients on coupled electromechanical factor, on the stress fields, the electrical potential and the mechanical displacement are discussed, respectively. Illustration is achieved on the well known heterostructure PZT-5H/SiO₂, the obtained results are especially useful in the design of high-performance acoustic surface devices and accurately prediction of the Love wave propagation behaviour.     

Love waves in a layered functionally graded piezoelectric structure under initial stress

Abstract

To study the effect of initial stress on the propagation behavior of Love waves in a layered functionally graded piezoelectric structure, a mathematical model is established. The piezoelectric layer is taken as exponentially graded material where as half-space is taken as simply elastic substratum. The coupled electromechanical field equations are solved analytically to obtain the mechanical displacements and electrical potential functions for the piezoelectric layer and elastic substrate. The dispersion relations are obtained for electrically open and short cases. The higher mode Love wave propagation has been considered. For numerical interpretation of the results, four sets of piezoelectric layer and elastic substrate have been taken into consideration. Graphical representation reveals about the effect of initial stress and the effect of inhomogeneity parameter on the phase velocity against wave number for electrically open and electrically short cases, respectively.     

Modeling of functionally graded piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers

The application of functionally graded material (FGM) concept to piezoelectric transducers allows the design of composite transducers without interfaces, due to the continuous change of property values. Thus, large improvements can be achieved, as reduction of stress concentration, increasing of bonding strength, and bandwidth. This work proposes to design and to model FGM piezoelectric transducers and to compare their performance with non-FGM ones. Analytical and finite element (FE) modeling of FGM piezoelectric transducers radiating a plane pressure wave in fluid medium are developed and their results are compared. The ANSYS software is used for the FE modeling. The analytical model is based on FGM-equivalent acoustic transmission-line model, which is implemented using MATLAB software. Two cases are considered: (i) the transducer emits a pressure wave in water and it is composed of a graded piezoceramic disk, and backing and matching layers made of homogeneous materials; (ii) the transducer has no backing and matching layer; in this case, no external load is simulated. Time and frequency pressure responses are obtained through a transient analysis. The material properties are graded along thickness direction. Linear and exponential gradation functions are implemented to illustrate the influence of gradation on the transducer pressure response, electrical impedance, and resonance frequencies.     

Reliability assessment of different plate theories for elastic wave propagation analysis in functionally graded plates

The importance of elastic wave propagation problem in plates arises from the application of ultrasonic elastic waves in non-destructive evaluation of plate-like structures. However, precise study and analysis of acoustic guided waves especially in non-homogeneous waveguides such as functionally graded plates are so complicated that exact elastodynamic methods are rarely employed in practical applications. Thus, the simple approximate plate theories have attracted much interest for the calculation of wave fields in FGM plates. Therefore, in the current research, the classical plate theory (CPT), first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) and third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) are used to obtain the transient responses of flexural waves in FGM plates subjected to transverse impulsive loadings. Moreover, comparing the results with those based on a well recognized hybrid numerical method (HNM), we examine the accuracy of the plate theories for several plates of various thicknesses under excitations of different frequencies. The material properties of the plate are assumed to vary across the plate thickness according to a simple power-law distribution in terms of volume fractions of constituents. In all analyses, spatial Fourier transform together with modal analysis are applied to compute displacement responses of the plates. A comparison of the results demonstrates the reliability ranges of the approximate plate theories for elastic wave propagation analysis in FGM plates. Furthermore, based on various examples, it is shown that whenever the plate theories are used within the appropriate ranges of plate thickness and frequency content, solution process in wave number-time domain based on modal analysis approach is not only sufficient but also efficient for finding the transient waveforms in FGM plates.     

Hybridization of acoustic waves in piezoelectric plates

The interaction (hybridization) of different types of acoustic waves of zero and higher orders propagating in lithium niobate piezoelectric plates is theoretically investigated. Different crystallographic orientations of the plates and different directions of wave propagation in them are considered. It is shown that, for an electrically free plate with the propagation direction along any of the crystallographic axes, the dispersion curves have intersection points and hybridization is absent. However, when the propagation direction slightly changes or when one of the plate surfaces is short-circuited, the dispersion curves separate and the waves become coupled. A quantitative coefficient characterizing the degree of wave hybridization with allowance for both mechanical and electric coupling is introduced. It is shown that the dependence of this coefficient on the product of the plate thickness by the wave frequency determines the extent of separation of the dispersion curves of interacting waves. The phenomenon under study is of both fundamental and practical interest, for example, in connection with the problem of an efficient excitation of nonpiezoactive acoustic waves in piezoelectric plates.     

Thermal postbuckling and vibration analyses of functionally graded plates

Thermal postbuckling and vibration behaviors of the functionally graded (FG) plate are investigated. The material properties of the FG plate are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness of the plate and as temperature with the nonlinearity. The nonlinear finite element equations based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory are formulated for the FG plate. The von Karman nonlinear strain–displacement relationship is used to account for the large deflection of the plate. The incremental form considering the initial displacement and initial stress is adopted for the nonlinear temperature-dependent material properties of the functionally graded material. The numerical result shows the characteristics of the thermal postbuckling and vibration of the FG plate in the pre- and post-buckled regions.     

Nonlinear free vibration behavior of functionally graded plates

In this paper, an analytical solution is provided for the nonlinear free vibration behavior of plates made of functionally graded materials. The material properties of the functionally graded plates are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness, according to a power-law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. The fundamental equations for thin rectangular plates of functionally graded materials are obtained using the von Karman theory for large transverse deflection, and the solution is obtained in terms of mixed Fourier series. The effect of material properties, boundary conditions and thermal loading on the dynamic behavior of the plates is determined and discussed. The results reveal that nonlinear coupling effects play a major role in dictating the fundamental frequency of functionally graded plates.     

Effect of initial stress on Love waves in a piezoelectric structure carrying a functionally graded material layer

The effect of initial stress on the propagation behavior of Love waves in a piezoelectric half-space of polarized ceramics carrying a functionally graded material (FGM) layer is analytically investigated in this paper from the three-dimensional equations of linear piezoelectricity. The analytical solutions are obtained for the dispersion relations of Love wave propagating in this kind of structure with initial stress for both electrical open case and electrical short case, respectively. One numerical example is given to graphically illustrate the effect of initial stress on dispersive curve, phase velocity and electromechanical coupling factor of the Love wave propagation. The results reported here are meaningful for the design of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices with high performance.     

Electroacoustic lamb waves in piezoelectric crystal plates

The main characteristics of various types of plate electroacoustic waves propagating in piezoelectric single-crystal plates of various thickness are numerically studied. A number of piezoelectric plates and orientations in them with record high values of the electromechanical coupling coefficient for transverse plate waves are proposed.     

Bending analysis of a functionally graded piezoelectric cantilever beam

A new analysis based on Airy stress function method is presented for a functionally graded piezoelectric material cantilever beam. Assuming that the mechanical and electric properties of the material have the same variations along the thickness direction, a two-dimensional plane elasticity solution is obtained for the coupling electroelastic fields of the beam under different loadings. This solution will be useful in analyzing FGPM beam with arbitrary variations of material properties. The influences of the functionally graded material properties on the structural response of the beam subjected to different loads are also studied through numerical examples.     

Transverse surface waves in a layered structure with a functionally graded piezoelectric substrate and a hard dielectric layer

As to an ideally layered structure with a functionally graded piezoelectric substrate (material parameters change continuously along the thickness direction) and a hard dielectric layer, the existence and propagation behavior of transverse surface waves is studied by analytical technique. The dispersion equations for the existence of the transverse surface waves with respect to phase velocity are obtained for electrically open and short circuit conditions, respectively. A detailed investigation of the effect of gradient coefficient on dispersion relation, electromechanical coupling factor and penetration depth is carried out. It is found by numerical examples that adjusting gradient coefficient makes the electromechanical coupling factor of the transverse surface waves achieve quite high values at some appropriate ratio values of the layer thickness to the wavelength, and at the same time, the penetration depth can be reduced to the same order as the wavelength.     

Love-type waves in functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) sandwiched between initially stressed layer and elastic substrate

This paper investigates the propagation behavior of Love-type surface waves in three-layered composite structure with initial stress. The composite structure has been taken in such a way that a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) layer is bonded between initially stressed piezoelectric upper layer and an elastic substrate. Using the method of separation of variables, frequency equation for the considered wave has been established in the form of determinant for electrical open and short cases on free surface. The bisection method iteration technique has been used to find the roots of the dispersion relations which give the modes for electrical open and short cases. The effects of gradient variation of material constant and initial stress on the phase velocity of surface waves are discussed. Dependence of thickness on each parameter of the study has been shown explicitly. Study has been also done to show the existence of cut-off frequency. Graphical representation has been done to exhibit the findings. The obtained results are significant for the investigation and characterization of Love-type waves in FGPM-layered media.     

A theoretical study of the propagation of Rayleigh waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM)

An exact approach is used to investigate Rayleigh waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) layer bonded to a semi infinite homogenous solid. The piezoelectric material is polarized when the six fold symmetry axis is put along the propagation direction x₁. The FGPM character imposes that the material properties change gradually with the thickness of the layer. Contrary to the analytical approach, the adopted numerical methods, including the ordinary differential equation (ODE) and the stiffness matrix method (SMM), treat separately the electrical and mechanical gradients. The influences of graded variations applied to FGPM film coefficients on the dispersion curves of Rayleigh waves are discussed. The effects of gradient coefficients on electromechanical coupling factor, displacement fields, stress distributions and electrical potential, are reported. The obtained deviations in comparison with the ungraded homogenous film are plotted with respect to the dimensionless wavenumber. Opposite effects are observed on the coupling factor when graded variations are applied separately. A particular attention has been devoted to the maximum of the coupling factor and it dependence on the stratification rate and the gradient coefficient. This work provides with a theoretical foundation for the design and practical applications of SAW devices with high performance.     

Wave propagation of functionally graded material plates in thermal environments

The wave propagation of an infinite functionally graded plate in thermal environments is studied using the higher-order shear deformation plate theory. The thermal effects and temperature-dependent material properties are both taken into account. The temperature field considered is assumed to be a uniform distribution over the plate surface and varied in the thickness direction only. Material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent, and graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. Considering the effects of transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia, the governing equations of the wave propagation in the functionally graded plate are derived by using the Hamilton’s principle. The analytic dispersion relation of the functionally graded plate is obtained by solving an eigenvalue problem. Numerical examples show that the characteristics of wave propagation in the functionally graded plate are relates to the volume fraction index and thermal environment of the functionally graded plate. The influences of the volume fraction distributions and temperature on wave propagation of functionally graded plate are discussed in detail. The results carried out can be used in the ultrasonic inspection techniques and structural health monitoring.     

Dynamic stress from a circular hole in a functionally graded piezoelectric/piezomagnetic material subjected to shear waves

An analytical method is applied to investigate the scattering of magneto-electro-elastic waves and dynamic stress around a circular hole in a functionally graded piezoelectric/piezomagnetic material layer. Analytical solutions of the wave, electric and magnetic fields are expressed by employing a wave function expansion method. Analyses show that the piezoelectric and piezomagnetic properties greatly affect the dynamic stress in the region of the intermediate frequency, and the effect increases with increasing non-homogeneous parameter. The effects of the incident wave number and non-homogeneous parameter of the materials on the dynamic stress and electric field are also examined.     

Vibro-acoustic response and sound transmission loss analysis of functionally graded plates

This paper presents analytical studies on the vibro-acoustic and sound transmission loss characteristics of functionally graded material (FGM) plates using a simple first-order shear deformation theory. The material properties of the plate are assumed to vary according to power law distribution of the constituent materials in terms of volume fraction. The sound radiation due to sinusoidally varying point load, uniformly distributed load and obliquely incident sound wave is computed by solving the Rayleigh integral with a primitive numerical scheme. Displacement, velocity, acceleration, radiated sound power level, radiated sound pressure level and radiation efficiency of FGM plate for varying power law index are examined. The sound transmission loss of the FGM plate for several incidence angles and varying power law index is studied in detail. It has been found that, for the plate being considered, the sound power level increases monotonically with increase in power law index at lower frequency range (0–500 Hz) and a non-monotonic trend is appeared towards higher frequencies for both point and distributed force excitations. Increased vibration and acoustic response is observed for ceramic-rich FGM plate at higher frequency band; whereas a similar trend is seen for metal-rich FGM plate at lower frequency band. The dBA values are found to be decreasing with increase in power law index. The radiation efficiency of ceramic-rich FGM plate is noticed to be higher than that of metal and metal-rich FGM plates. The transmission loss below the first resonance frequency is high for ceramic-rich FGM plate and low for metal-rich FGM plate and further depends on the specific material property. The study has found that increased transmission loss can be achieved at higher frequencies with metal-rich FGM plates.