Coupled circuit based representation of piezoelectric structures modeled using the finite volume method

Area of Science:

• Multiphysics modeling
• Computational mechanics
• Electrical engineering

Background:

• Piezoelectric devices are crucial in various applications, requiring accurate modeling for performance optimization.
• Traditional modeling methods like finite element analysis (FEA) can be computationally intensive.
• Developing efficient and accurate circuit models for piezoelectric phenomena is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a methodology for generating an electrical circuit model from a finite volume method (FVM) model of a piezoelectric plate.
• To validate the accuracy of the FVM-derived circuit model against FVM simulations.
• To compare the FVM circuit model with existing analytical and FEA models.

Main Methods:

• Modeling a piezoelectric plate using the finite volume method (FVM).
• Implementing the FVM model into an equivalent electrical circuit using circuit simulation software.
• Comparing simulation results from the FVM model and its corresponding circuit.
• Comparing the FVM circuit model with a simplified analytical model and FEA results.

Main Results:

• The FVM model and its corresponding electrical circuit produced identical simulation results.
• The FVM circuit model showed close agreement with a simplified analytical model for a single control volume.
• Discrepancies were observed between the FVM circuit model and high-resolution FEA results due to model simplifications.

Conclusions:

• The FVM-based electrical circuit model is a valid and accurate representation of piezoelectric plate behavior.
• The methodology allows for the automation of circuit generation for complex piezoelectric systems.
• This approach offers a computationally efficient alternative for simulating piezoelectric devices.