Detecting of non-uniformly distributed loads with SAW sensors using a two-dimensional segmentation method

Abstract To accurately calculate the response of surface acoustic wave sensors with non-uniformly distributed loads, a two-dimensional segmentation method suitable for various load distribution patterns was established with the idea of channelization. In this method, the sensitive area of the sensor was divided into several channels in the direction of the aperture, and each channel was cut apart into several cells along the direction of acoustic wave propagation. Finally, the two-dimensional analysis of the non-uniform distributed load was completed since each cell was analyzed and cascaded. A Rayleigh surface acoustic wave (R-SAW) sensor was used to simulate and experiment in this paper. The results showed that the responses of SAW sensors under loads with the non-uniform distributions were simulated accurately by using a two-dimensional segmentation method.