Active/passive tuning of wave propagation in phononic microbeams via piezoelectric patches

In this paper, size-dependent microbeams made of functionally graded materials (FGMs) with periodic arrays of auxiliary piezoelectric springs are considered small-sized phononic crystals (PCs). The governing equation of motion for the propagation of flexural waves is derived and solved using the transfer matrix method (TMM). Then, the small size effects on the wave propagation in periodic FGM microbeams are investigated. Also, the effects of FGM distribution on the dispersion curves as well as on the frequency ranges and widths of the stop bands are analyzed. Additionally, by actively modulating the piezoelectric stiffness of the auxiliary springs, tunable wave attenuation is reached via both local resonance (LR) and Bragg scattering mechanisms. The results prove that stop-bands of both LR and Bragg natures can be tuned in microbeams, and tunable wave-attenuation performance can be achieved in different ranges of the frequency spectrum by implementing FGMs and combining it with piezoelectricity. Such findings place this work among the first efforts to provide passive and active control of wave attenuation in size-dependent tiny metamaterials.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the phononic crystal properties of microbeams made of functionally graded materials, achieving tunable wave attenuation through the periodic arrangement of auxiliary piezoelectric springs. The results demonstrate that wave attenuation can be controlled in different frequency ranges by implementing functionally graded materials and combining it with piezoelectricity.