A variable kinematic multi-field model for lamb wave propagation analysis in smart composite panels

The study explores the propagation of symmetric and antisymmetric fundamental Lamb waves in laminated composite strips, employing multi-field piezo-elastic plate models. The findings indicate the necessity of employing higher-order kinematic models to enhance the accuracy of wave propagation assessments. To further optimize computational efficiency, node-dependent kinematic models are utilized. The research delves into the tradeoff between reducing computational costs and maintaining result accuracy demonstrating a reduction of up to 60% in computational expenses in simple models while keeping the error below 1%. Two-dimensional wave propagation in laminated composite plates was further considered, expanding the scope due to material orthotropy.