Characterizations of fundamental SH wave generation using a fully coupled dynamic model

Fundamental shear horizontal (SH0) waves in plate-like structures are of great importance in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications due to its unique nondispersive nature. The generation and the reception of the SH0 waves using piezoelectrics, however, is always a challenge. In this study, a dynamic model on the shear horizontal (SH) wave generation is proposed based on the continuum mechanics theory, in which the full dynamic coupling between a PZT actuator and a plate is considered. The inevitable unideal bonding between the actuator and the plate is taken into account through a spring model. The solutions, which can simultaneously satisfy the governing dynamic equations and the boundary conditions, are obtained in a closed form using trigonometric series and modal superposition method. The convergence of the series is demonstrated and the model is numerically validated through comparisons with FEM results using a PZT-5H wafer bonded on the surface of a thin aluminum plate. The proposed model is general, suitable for both ideal and unideal bonding, and expected to provide a useful tool for analyzing and simulating SH0 wave generations in SHM applications.