Comparison of Different EXperimental Methods and Numerical Method in the Analysis ofFree Vibrations of Smart Cylinder Panels

Piezoelectric materials in various forms, such as rectangular, circular, ring, and cylindrical panels, have many uses in industries to build smart structures. This article discusses the experimental and numerical analysis of the free vibrations of a two-layer smart cylindrical panel consisting of a metal layer and a piezoelectric layer in different boundary conditions and geometry. First, a piezoelectric panel was prepared as an actuator to be used in the desired conditions and was polarized in the radial direction. Then, by adding the aluminum layer, the two-layer cylindrical panel was made, and its natural frequency was experimentally measured in free boundary conditions by three different methods. In the next step, the mentioned panel was modeled in finite element software. The finite element and the experimental results were consistent. Moreover, the accuracy and limitations of the used experimental methods are discussed. Finally, the effect of different simple and rigid boundary conditions, as well as geometrical parameters such as thickness, width, and radius of the panel on the natural frequency, was analyzed using the finite element model.