Dynamic behaviour of surface-bonded piezoelectric sensor with interfacial debonding

Abstract: The performance of smart structures depends on the dynamic electromechanical behavior of piezoelectric sensors/actuators and the bonding condition along the interface. This thesis contents a theoretical study of the coupled electromechanical characteristics of a surface-bonded piezoelectric sensor with interfacial debonding, which is subjected to high frequency mechanical loads. A one dimensional sensor model is proposed. Analytical solutions based on the integral equation method are provided. Numerical simulation is conducted to evaluate the effects of different parameters upon the dynamic load transfer between the sensor and the host medium. The results indicate that, the material combination, the sensor geometry, and the loading frequency, affect the load transfer significantly. The analytical solution of the elastic wave field in the host medium is obtained and used to evaluate the effects of different parameters upon the resulting wave field. The theoretical solution demonstrates the basic properties of wave propagation under current loading conditions.