The present paper assessed the use of variable kinematic two-dimensional elements in the dynamic analysis of Lamb waves propagation in an isotropic plate with piezo-patches. The multi-field finite element model used in this work was based on the Carrera Unified Formulation which offers a versatile application enabling the model to apply the desired order theory. The used variable kinematic model allowed for the kinematic model to vary in space, thereby providing the possibility to implement a classical plate model in collaboration with a refined kinematic model in selected areas where higher order kinematics are needed. The propagation of the symmetric (S0) and the antisymmetric (A0) fundamental lamb waves in an isotropic strip was considered in both mechanical and piezo-elastic plate models. The convergence of the models was discussed for different kinematics approaches, under different mesh refinement, and under different time steps. The results were compared to the exact solution proposed in the literature in order to assess and further determine the effects of the different parameters used when dynamically modeling a Lamb wave propagating in such material. It was shown that the higher order kinematic models delivered a higher accuracy of the propagating wave evaluated using the corresponding Time Of Flight (TOF). Upon using the appropriate mesh refinement of 2000 elements and sufficient time steps of 4000 steps, the error between the TOF obtained analytically and numerically using a high order kinematics was found to be less than 1% for both types of fundamental Lamb waves S0 and A0. Node-dependent kinematics models were also exploited in wave propagation to decrease the computational cost and to study their effect on the accuracy of the obtained results. The obtained results show, in both the mechanical and the piezo-electric models, that a reduction in the computational cost of up to 50% can be easily attained using such models while maintaining an error inferior to 1%.
Keywords: Carrera Unified Formulation; Lamb wave; node-dependent kinematics; piezo-patch; plate models.