The addition of piezoelectric properties to structural finite element programs by matrix manipulations with applications to underwater acoustics

Abstract

The capability to analyze materials having linear piezoelectric properties was developed for structural finite element programs. Of the many methods with which this could be achieved, the method chosen was to add the piezoelectric properties by matrix manipulation of elastic and heat transfer element matrices. This method is independent of the elemental shape functions. It therefore has the advantages of converting many varieties of structural finite elements into piezoelectric finite elements with one general coding and as the state of the art improves for the structural elements so will the piezoelectric ones without additional or new programming. Otherwise, each variety of piezoelectric element and improvements would have to be programmed separately. This capability was added to MSC/NASTRAN by Goodyear Aerospace Corporation. The theory behind this method and comparison of finite element models of several piezoelectric ceramic underwater acoustic projectors to experimental data are presented.