An Analysis of Laminated Piezoelectric Infinite Plate for Broadband Biomedical Ultrasound Transducer Design

Author(s):  
Daniel H. Cortes ◽  
Sam M. Mukdadi

This work investigates the use of frequency spectrum analysis of waveguide propagation in multi-layered anisotropic piezoelectric transducers. A semi-analytical finite-element analysis (SAFE) is used to model the transducer as a piezoelectric infinite plate. Dispersion curves, group velocities and displacement frequency spectra can be obtained for any multilayered piezoelectric plate. Stress-free boundary conditions were assumed for all analyses. Results for open and closed circuit boundary conditions were analyzed. Zero-Group-Velocity (ZGV) frequencies of high-order waveguide modes were observed to provide multi-resonant displacement frequency spectrum. Comparison of numerical and experimental results shows a good agreement between peak and off-peak values of the displacement spectrum. Results showed that optimization of layered structure may provide an efficient means for generating multi-thickness (ZGV) waveguide modes, thus increasing the bandwidth of harmonic ultrasound transducers for contrast imaging.

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1388
Author(s):  
Daniele Oboe ◽  
Luca Colombo ◽  
Claudio Sbarufatti ◽  
Marco Giglio

The inverse Finite Element Method (iFEM) is receiving more attention for shape sensing due to its independence from the material properties and the external load. However, a proper definition of the model geometry with its boundary conditions is required, together with the acquisition of the structure’s strain field with optimized sensor networks. The iFEM model definition is not trivial in the case of complex structures, in particular, if sensors are not applied on the whole structure allowing just a partial definition of the input strain field. To overcome this issue, this research proposes a simplified iFEM model in which the geometrical complexity is reduced and boundary conditions are tuned with the superimposition of the effects to behave as the real structure. The procedure is assessed for a complex aeronautical structure, where the reference displacement field is first computed in a numerical framework with input strains coming from a direct finite element analysis, confirming the effectiveness of the iFEM based on a simplified geometry. Finally, the model is fed with experimentally acquired strain measurements and the performance of the method is assessed in presence of a high level of uncertainty.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2590
Author(s):  
Che-Yu Lin ◽  
Ke-Vin Chang

Most biomaterials and tissues are viscoelastic; thus, evaluating viscoelastic properties is important for numerous biomedical applications. Compressional viscoelastography is an ultrasound imaging technique used for measuring the viscoelastic properties of biomaterials and tissues. It analyzes the creep behavior of a material under an external mechanical compression. The aim of this study is to use finite element analysis to investigate how loading conditions (the distribution of the applied compressional pressure on the surface of the sample) and boundary conditions (the fixation method used to stabilize the sample) can affect the measurement accuracy of compressional viscoelastography. The results show that loading and boundary conditions in computational simulations of compressional viscoelastography can severely affect the measurement accuracy of the viscoelastic properties of materials. The measurement can only be accurate if the compressional pressure is exerted on the entire top surface of the sample, as well as if the bottom of the sample is fixed only along the vertical direction. These findings imply that, in an experimental validation study, the phantom design should take into account that the surface area of the pressure plate must be equal to or larger than that of the top surface of the sample, and the sample should be placed directly on the testing platform without any fixation (such as a sample container). The findings indicate that when applying compressional viscoelastography to real tissues in vivo, consideration should be given to the representative loading and boundary conditions. The findings of the present simulation study will provide a reference for experimental phantom designs regarding loading and boundary conditions, as well as guidance towards validating the experimental results of compressional viscoelastography.


Author(s):  
Virgilio J Caetano ◽  
Marcelo A Savi

Energy harvesting from ambient vibration through piezoelectric devices has received a lot of attention in recent years from both academia and industry. One of the main challenges is to develop devices capable of adapting to diverse sources of environmental excitation, being able to efficiently operate over a broadband frequency spectrum. This work proposes a novel multimodal design of a piezoelectric energy harvesting system to harness energy from a wideband ambient vibration source. Circular-shaped and pizza-shaped designs are employed as candidates for the device, comparing their performance with classical beam-shaped devices. Finite element analysis is employed to model system dynamics using ANSYS Workbench. An optimization procedure is applied to the system aiming to seek a configuration that can extract energy from a broader frequency spectrum and maximize its output power. A comparative analysis with conventional energy harvesting systems is performed. Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the harvester performances under harmonic and random excitations. Results show that the proposed multimodal harvester has potential to harness energy from broadband ambient vibration sources presenting performance advantages in comparison to conventional single-mode energy harvesters.


Author(s):  
Giuseppe Catania ◽  
Silvio Sorrentino

In the Rayleigh-Ritz condensation method the solution of the equation of motion is approximated by a linear combination of shape-functions selected among appropriate sets. Extensive literature dealing with the choice of appropriate basis of shape functions exists, the selection depending on the particular boundary conditions of the structure considered. This paper is aimed at investigating the possibility of adopting a set of eigenfunctions evaluated from a simple stucture as a general basis for the analysis of arbitrary-shaped plates. The results are compared to those available in the literature and using standard finite element analysis.


2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Ryan ◽  
George G. Adams ◽  
Nicol E. McGruer

In beam theory, constraints can be classified as fixed/pinned depending on whether the rotational stiffness of the support is much greater/less than the rotational stiffness of the freestanding portion. For intermediate values of the rotational stiffness of the support, the boundary conditions must account for the finite rotational stiffness of the constraint. In many applications, particularly in microelectromechanical systems and nanomechanics, the constraints exist only on one side of the beam. In such cases, it may appear at first that the same conditions on the constraint stiffness hold. However, it is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that even if the beam is perfectly bonded on one side only to a completely rigid constraining surface, the proper model for the boundary conditions for the beam still needs to account for beam deformation in the bonded region. The use of a modified beam theory, which accounts for bending, shear, and extensional deformation in the bonded region, is required in order to model this behavior. Examples are given for cantilever, bridge, and guided structures subjected to either transverse loads or residual stresses. The results show significant differences from the ideal bond case. Comparisons made to a three-dimensional finite element analysis show a good agreement.


2004 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Batalha ◽  
F. R. Martins

We used Raunkiaer's system to classify in life-forms the vascular plants present in 12 random 25 m² quadrats of a cerrado site. The study area is covered by cerrado sensu stricto and is located in the Valério fragment, at about 22º13'S and 47º51'W, 760 m above sea level, in the Itirapina Ecological and Experimental Station, São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. The floristic spectrum considers the life-form of each species, while in the frequency spectrum, each species is weighted by its frequency. The vegetation spectrum does not consider the species at all, but only the individuals in each life-form class. In the floristic spectrum, the most represented life-forms were the phanerophytes and the hemicryptophytes, as in other cerrado sites. This spectrum differed significantly from Raunkiaer's normal spectrum, mainly due to under-representation of therophytes and over-representation of phanerophytes. The floristic and frequency spectra were similar, but both differed from the vegetation spectrum. We recommend the floristic spectrum when working at larger scales and a description of the phytoclimate is wanted. The vegetation spectrum is preferable when working at smaller scales and wanting a quantitative description of the physiognomy. The frequency spectrum is not recommended at all.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Van Binh Phung ◽  
Anh Tuan Nguyen ◽  
Hoang Minh Dang ◽  
Thanh-Phong Dao ◽  
V. N. Duc

The present paper analyzes the vibration issue of thin-walled beams under combined initial axial load and end moment in two cases with different boundary conditions, specifically the simply supported-end and the laterally fixed-end boundary conditions. The analytical expressions for the first natural frequencies of thin-walled beams were derived by two methods that are a method based on the existence of the roots theorem of differential equation systems and the Rayleigh method. In particular, the stability boundary of a beam can be determined directly from its first natural frequency expression. The analytical results are in good agreement with those from the finite element analysis software ANSYS Mechanical APDL. The research results obtained here are useful for those creating tooth blade designs of innovative frame saw machines.


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