A modified axisymmetric finite element for the 3-D vibration analysis of piezoelectric laminated circular and annular plates

A finite element is presented to analyze the three-dimensional (3-D) vibration of piezoelectric coupled circular and annular plates. The proposed finite element is a modification of a conventional axisymmetric finite element and is capable of conducting both axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric vibration analysis of circular and annular laminated plates, with piezoelectric layers therein. The present formulation, a two-dimensional model itself, can investigate 3-D vibration of those plates for a preselected number of nodal diameters, and is therefore more economical than the conventional 3-D finite element analysis, yet still has almost the same accuracy and versatility as the 3-D analysis. In cases such as analysis of stators of traveling wave ultrasonic motors where only vibration modes with particular numbers of nodal diameters are of interest, the proposed approach is very convenient and useful.