Guided waves propagating in a bi-layer system consisting of a piezoelectric plate and a dielectric fluid layer

This study employs a theoretical modeling and an experimental measurement for investigating the dispersion behavior of guided waves propagating in a bi-layer system consisting of a piezoelectric plate and a dielectric fluid layer. The theoretical model is based on a recursive asymptotic stiffness matrix method (RASM) with the fluid layer modeled as an equivalent elastic body. A laser ultrasound technique is used to measure the dispersion relations of the bi-layer system. Behaviors of mode couplings between guided modes propagating in the piezoelectric plate and those in fluid layer are characterized in the modeling and measurements. Dispersion behaviors of guided modes propagating in the bi-layer system are discussed for varying fluid thicknesses. For all of the investigated cases, the theoretical modeled dispersion spectra agree well with the measurements.