Hybrid global matrix/local interaction simulation approach for wave propagation simulation in composite laminates

This paper presents a hybrid approach to model guided wave propagation in composite laminates. The global matrix approach is used to determine the displacement field surrounding a piezoelectric actuator. The displacement field is then enforced in a specified region of a numerical model that employs the local interaction simulation approach (LISA). This LISA Hybrid approach circumvents the problem of modeling non-rectangular actuators in the Cartesian discretization in LISA by using the global matrix method to characterize the actuator’s influence on a cut-out region surrounding it. Results show the LISA Hybrid model outperforms previous LISA models that enforce in-plane displacements on the surface of the plate. The LISA Hybrid model produces wave propagation time histories that closely match the baseline global matrix method and successfully capture directional effects resulting from the anisotropic nature of composite plates. Results for aluminum, cross-ply, unidirectional, and quasi-isotropic plates show dependence on the in-plane discretization size, but that dependence is less pronounced for the cross-ply case.