Wave propagation analysis in inhomogeneous piezo-composite layer by the thin-layer method

The thin-layer method (TLM) is used to study the propagation of waves in inhomogeneous piezo-composite layered media caused by mechanical loading and electrical excitation. The element is formulated in the time-wavenumber domain, which drastically reduces the cost of computation compared to the finite element (FE) method. Fourier series are used for the spatial representation of the unknown variables. The material properties are allowed to vary in the depthwise direction only. Both linear and exponential variations of elastic and electrical properties are considered. Several numerical examples are presented, which bring out the characteristics of wave propagation in anisotropic and inhomogeneous layered media. The element is useful for modelling ultrasonic transducers (UT) and one such example is given to show the effect of electric actuation in a composite material and the difference in the responses elicited for various ply-angles. Further, an ultrasonic transducer composed of functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPM) is modelled and the effect of gradation on mechanical response is demonstrated. The effect of anisotropy and inhomogeneity is shown in the normal modes for both displacement and electric potential. The element is further utilized to estimate the piezoelectric properties from the measured response using non-linear optimization, a strategy that is referred to as the pulse propagation technique (PPT)