Abstract
The finite element method is widely used for the modeling of piezoelectric transducers. With respect to the radiation loading, the fluid is meshed and terminated by an external nonreflecting surface. This reflecting surface can be made up with dipolar damping elements that absorb approximately the outgoing acoustic wave. In fact, with dipolar dampers the fluid mesh can be quite limited. This method can provides a direct computation of the near-field pressure inside the selected external boundary. This paper describes an original extrapolation method to compute far-field pressures from near-field pressures in the two-dimensional (2-D) case. In fact, using the 2-D Helmholtz equation and its solution obeying the Sommerfeld radiation condition, the far-field directivity pattern can be expressed in terms of the near-field directivity pattern. These developments are valid for any radiation problem in 2D. One test example is described which consists of a finite width planar source mounted in a rigid or a soft baffle. Experimental results concerning the far-field directivity pattern of lithium niobate bars (Y-cut) are also presented.
