Analysis of second-harmonic generation by primary ultrasonic guided wave propagation in a piezoelectric plate

•A model has been established for analyzing the SHG effect in piezoelectric plates.•The influences of electrical boundary conditions on SHG effect were analyzed.•Change in the electrical boundaries can effectively regulate the SHG efficiency.

The effect of second-harmonic generation (SHG) by primary ultrasonic guided wave propagation is analyzed, where the nonlinear elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties of the piezoelectric plate material are considered simultaneously. The formal solution of the corresponding second-harmonic displacement field is presented. Theoretical and numerical investigations clearly show that the SHG effect of primary guided wave propagation is highly sensitive to the electrical boundary conditions of the piezoelectric plate. The results obtained may provide a means through which the SHG efficiency of ultrasonic guided wave propagation can effectively be regulated by changing the electrical boundary conditions of the piezoelectric plate.