Lead Zirconate Titanate Transducers Embedded in Composite Laminates: The Influence of the Integration Method on Ultrasound Transduction

In the context of an embedded structural health monitoring (SHM) system, two methods of transducer integration into the core of a laminate carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) are tested: cut-out and between two plies. This study focuses on the effect of integration methods on Lamb wave generation. For this purpose, plates with an embedded lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducer are cured in an autoclave. The embedded PZT insulation, integrity, and ability to generate Lamb waves are checked with electromechanical impedance, X-rays, and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) measurements. Lamb wave dispersion curves are computed by LDV using two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (Bi-FFT) to study the quasi-antisymmetric mode (qA0) excitability in generation with the embedded PZT in the frequency range of 30 to 200 kHz. The embedded PZT is able to generate Lamb waves, which validate the integration procedure. The first minimum frequency of the embedded PZT shifts to lower frequencies and its amplitude is reduced compared to a surface-mounted PZT.