An investigation of torsional surface wave in a piezoelectric fiber-reinforced composite layer imperfectly bonded to a functionally graded half-space

This article presents a comprehensive study of torsional surface wave propagation in a piezoelectric fiberreinforced composite (PFRC) layer bonded to functionally graded (FG) half-space considering electrically short and open boundary conditions. The Strength of Materials (SM) and Rule of Mixtures (ROM) approaches have been adopted to determine the effective properties of the PFRC. The non-ideal mechanical and electrical interfacial boundary has been considered for the problem which appears in various realistic scenarios. For the torsional surface wave propagation through PFRC bonded to FG half-space, the dispersion equation has been derived analytically using Whittaker function. The obtained results are validated and matched with existing results by considering special cases. The variation of phase velocity due to the influence of fiber volume fraction, interfacial imperfection parameters and functionally grading parameters have been analyzed and illustrated by means of graphs. Furthermore, the distribution of the field variables, stress and electric displacements across the composite are presented through surface plots. The model holds potential applications in designing and manufacturing transducers, actuators and sensors. The use of PFRC can be found in a wide range of cutting-edge technology, including vibration-canceling gadgets, energy harvesters, and pressure sensors.