Finite element modeling is being adopted in the design of ultrasonic transducers and imaging arrays.
Impetus is accelerated product design cycles and the need to push the technology. Existing designs are
being optimized and new concepts are being explored. This recent acceptance follows the convergence of
improvements on many fronts: necessary computer resources are more accessible, lean, specialized
algorithms replacing general-purpose approaches, and better material characterization
The basics of the finite element method (FEM) for the coupled piezoelectric-acoustic problem are
reviewed. We contrast different FEM formulations and discuss the implications of each: time-domain
versus frequency domain, implicit versus explicit algorithms, linear versus nonlinear. Beyond discussions
of the theoretical underpinnings of numerical methods, the paper also examines other modeling ingredients
such as discretization, material attenuation, boundary conditions, farfield extrapolation, and electric
circuits.
Particular emphasis is placed on material characterization, and this is discussed through an actual "modelbuild-
test" validation sequence, undertaken recently. Some applications are also discussed.
Keywords: Arrays, Attenuation, Finite Element Method, Imaging, Piezoelectric, Transducer, Ultrasound