Abstract
Abstract. In this work, we apply the thermal wave method and the thermal pulse method for non-destructive characterisation of the polarisation state of embedded piezoelectric transducers. Heating the sample with a square-wave modulated laser beam or a single laser pulse leads to a pyroelectric current recorded in the frequency or time domain, respectively. It carries information about the polarisation state. Analytical and numerical finite element models describe the pyroelectric response of the piezoceramic. Modelling and experimental results are compared for a simple lead–zirconate–titanate (PZT) plate, a low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC)/PZT sensor and actuator, and a macro-fibre composite (MFC) actuator.
Highlights
Piezoelectric smart structures are created by embedding piezoelectric transducers into structural components to make them controllable or responsive to their environment
A thermal excitation in terms of thermal waves or thermal pulses gives rise to a pyroelectric current, which carries information on the polarisation profile
We present simplified analytical and numerical finite element models to describe the pyroelectric response of the laser intensity modulation method (LIMM) and the thermal pulse method, and we compare them to experimental results
Summary
Piezoelectric smart structures are created by embedding piezoelectric transducers into structural components to make them controllable or responsive to their environment These structures find applications, for instance, for healthmonitoring of safety components, for reducing noise emission in automobile engineering, or for damping vibrations. Their mass-production requires control of the polarisation state due to mechanical and thermal loads appearing during device fabrication. The advantage of the thermal pulse method is a higher pyroelectric signal in a shorter measuring time. We present simplified analytical and numerical finite element models to describe the pyroelectric response of the LIMM and the thermal pulse method, and we compare them to experimental results
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