An anisotropic ultrasonic transducer for Lamb wave applications

An anisotropic ultrasonic transducer is proposed for Lamb wave applications, such as passive damage or impact localization based on ultrasonic guided wave theory. This transducer is made from a PMNPT single crystal, and has different piezoelectric coefficients $d_{31}$ and $d_{32}$, which are the same for the conventional piezoelectric materials, such as Lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Different piezoelectric coefficients result in directionality of guided wave generated by this transducer, in other words, it is an anisotropic ultrasonic transducer. And thus, it has different sensitivity in comparison with conventional ultrasonic transducer. The anisotropic one can provide more information related to the direction when it is used as sensors. This paper first shows its detailed properties, including analytical formulae and finite elements simulations. Then, its application is described.