Modeling of piezoelectric devices with the finite volume method

A partial differential equation (PDE) model for the dynamics of a thin piezoelectric plate in an electric field is presented. This PDE model is discretized via the finite volume method (FVM), resulting in a system of coupled ordinary differential equations. A static analysis and an eigenfrequency analysis are done with results compared with those provided by a commercial finite element (FEM) package. We find that fewer degrees of freedom are needed with the FVM model to reach a specified degree of accuracy. This suggests that the FVM model, which also has the advantage of an intuitive interpretation in terms of electrical circuits, may be a better choice in control situations.