Abstract
A new type of smart aggregate using piezoceramic stack (SAPS) was developed for improved output, as compared with a conventional smart aggregate with a single piezoceramic patch. Due to the better output, the proposed smart aggregate is preferred where the attenuating effect is strong. In this research, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) material in the form of discs was used due to its strong piezoelectric performance. For analysis, the proposed SAPS was simplified to a one-dimensional axial model to investigate its electromechanical and displacement output characteristics, and an experimental setup was designed to verify the simplified model. Moreover, the influence of the structural parameters, including the number of the PZT discs, the dimensions of the PZT disc, protective shell, and copper lids, and the elastic modulus of the epoxy on the electromechanical and displacement output performance of SAPSs, were numerically studied by using the one-dimensional axial model. The numerical analysis results indicate that the structural dimension of the PZT discs has a greater effect on the electromechanical performance of SAPSs than that of the protective shell and copper lids. Moreover, the results show that the number of the PZT discs and the outer diameter of the protective shell have a much greater influence on the displacement output of SAPSs than other parameters. The analysis results of SAPSs with different elastic moduli of the epoxy demonstrate that the SAPSs’ first resonance frequency, first electromechanical coupling factor, and displacement output change less than 1.79% when the epoxy’s elastic modulus changes from 1.28 GPa to 5.12 GPa, which indicates that the elastic modulus of the epoxy has a limited influence on the property of SAPSs, and it will be helpful for their fabrication. This study provides an approach to increasing the output of SAPS and also develops a method to design the structure of SAPSs.
Highlights
To facilitate the theoretical and numerical studies, the proposed smart aggregate using piezoceramic stack (SAPS) was simplified to a one-dimensional axial model to theoretically investigate the electromechanical and displacement output characteristics of
The analyses indicate that the structural parameters, including the thickness and number of the PZT disc, the diameter of the protective shell, and thickness of the copper lids, have an influence on the SAPS’s electromechanical performance, while only the thickness and number of the PZT discs and the thickness of the protective shell have an obvious effect on the displacement output of SAPSs
The proposed smart aggregate is preferred for applications with a strong stress wave attenuating effect
Summary
At the same time, a spherical SA, where the traditional piezoelectric patch was replaced by a piezoelectric spherical shell, was proposed by Kong et al [13,57] to excite ultrasonic waves in all the directions in a three-dimensional structure. A novel type of smart aggregate using piezoceramic stack (SAPS) is proposed to improve the traditional SA’s performance. To facilitate the theoretical and numerical studies, the proposed SAPS was simplified to a one-dimensional axial model to theoretically investigate the electromechanical and displacement output characteristics of SAPSs, and the influence of the structural parameters and the elastic modulus of the epoxy on the output performance were analyzed. The rest of the paper is organized as follows: Section 2 proposes a simplified onedimensional axial model by using the theory of piezoelasticity and compares the performance of SAPS and the traditional SA.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
