Analysis of adaptive shell structures using a refined laminated model

This work presents the development of a shell conical panel finite element model, which has the possibility of having embedded piezoelectric actuators and/or sensors patches. A mixed laminated theory is used, which combines an equivalent single layer higher order shear deformation approach for the mechanical behavior with a layerwise representation in the thickness direction to describe the distribution of the electric potential in each of the piezoelectric layers of the finite element. The electrical potential function is represented through a linear variation across the thickness with two electric potential nodes for each piezoelectric layer. Based in this model an active damping scheme applied to laminated shell structures is presented and discussed.     

Design of laminated piezocomposite shell transducers with arbitrary fiber orientation using topology optimization approach

Sensor and actuator based on laminated piezocomposite shells have shown increasing demand in the field of smart structures. The distribution of piezoelectric material within material layers affects the performance of these structures; therefore, its amount, shape, size, placement, and polarization should be simultaneously considered in an optimization problem. In addition, previous works suggest the concept of laminated piezocomposite structure that includes fiber‐reinforced composite layer can increase the performance of these piezoelectric transducers; however, the design optimization of these devices has not been fully explored yet. Thus, this work aims the development of a methodology using topology optimization techniques for static design of laminated piezocomposite shell structures by considering the optimization of piezoelectric material and polarization distributions together with the optimization of the fiber angle of the composite orthotropic layers, which is free to assume different values along the same composite layer. The finite element model is based on the laminated piezoelectric shell theory, using the degenerate three‐dimensional solid approach and first‐order shell theory kinematics that accounts for the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia effects. The topology optimization formulation is implemented by combining the piezoelectric material with penalization and polarization model and the discrete material optimization, where the design variables describe the amount of piezoelectric material and polarization sign at each finite element, with the fiber angles, respectively. Three different objective functions are formulated for the design of actuators, sensors, and energy harvesters. Results of laminated piezocomposite shell transducers are presented to illustrate the method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid‐stabilized solid‐shell model of laminated composite piezoelectric structures under non‐linear distribution of electric potential through thickness

Eighteen‐node solid‐shell finite element models have been developed for the analysis of laminated composite plate/shell structures embedded with piezoelectric actuators and sensors. The explicit hybrid stabilization method is employed to formulate stabilization vectors for the uniformly reduced integrated 18‐node three‐dimensional composite solid element. Unlike conventional piezoelectric elements, the concept of the electric nodes introduced in this paper can effectively eliminate the burden of constraining the equality of the electric potential for the nodes lying on the same electrode. Furthermore, the non‐linear distribution of electric potential in the piezoelectric layer is expressed by introducing internal electric potential, which not only can simplify modelling but also obtains the same as the exact solution. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geometrically non-linear analysis of composite structures with integrated piezoelectric sensors and actuators

This paper deals with the geometrically non-linear analysis of thin plate/shell laminated structures with embedded integrated piezoelectric actuators or sensors layers and/or patches. The motivation for the present developments is the lack of studies in the behavior of adaptive structures using geometrically non-linear models, where only very few published works were found in the open literature.

The model is based on the Kirchhoff classical laminated theory and can be applied to plate and shell adaptive structures with arbitrary shape, general mechanical and electrical loadings.

The finite element model is a non-conforming single layer triangular plate/shell element with 18 degrees of freedom for the generalized displacements and one electrical potential degree of freedom for each piezoelectric layer or patch.

An updated Lagrangian formulation associated to Newton–Raphson technique is used to solve incrementally and iteratively the equilibrium equations.

The model is applied in the solution of four illustrative cases, and the results are compared and discussed with alternative solutions when available.     

Modelling and design of adaptive structures using B-spline strip models

The aim of this paper is to present a family of laminated plate/shell B-spline finite strip models based on higher order displacement fields applied to the optimal design of laminated composite plate/shell structures with embedded and/or surface bonded piezoelectric actuators and sensors. Simulated annealing, as a stochastic global optimisation technique, is used to improve the performance of composite adaptive structures subjected to behavioural functions and/or constraints, with continuous and discrete design variables. To show the applicability of the proposed optimisation models, two illustrative examples are presented and discussed.     

Computational approach of piezoelectric shells by the GDQ method

A piezoelectric laminated cylindrical shell with shear rotations effect under the electromechanical loads and four sides simply supported boundary condition was studied by using the two-dimensional generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) computational method. The typical hybrid composite shells with 3-layered cross-ply [90°/0°/90°] graphite–epoxy laminate and bounded PVDF layers are considered under the sinusoidal pressure loads and electric potentials on the shell. The governing partial differential equation with first-order shear deformation theory in terms of mid-surface displacements and shear rotations can be expressed in series equations by the GDQ formulation. Thus we obtain the GDQ numerical solutions of non-dimensional displacement and stresses at center position of laminated piezoelectric shells. Displacement is generally affected by the thickness of laminated piezoelectric shells under the action of mechanical load. Stresses are generally affected by the thickness and the length of laminated piezoelectric shells under the actions of mechanical load and electric potential.     

Exact analysis for static response of cross ply laminated smart shells

Models and analytical solutions are formulated and developed for the static behavior of cross ply smart laminated shells with extension piezoelectric laminae. The models are based on a rigorous first order shell theory. The state space approach is used to find exact solutions for the static response of cross ply spherical, cylindrical and doubly curved shells with various boundary conditions. The smart shells possess two parallel edges simply supported and the remaining ones having any possible combination of boundary conditions: free, clamped or simply supported. Deflections of cross ply laminated shells incorporating piezoelectric layers are determined. Numerical results of six layer laminates are generated to investigate the shell static behavior. The exact solutions for deflections can be used as benchmarks for approximate solutions such as Rayleigh–Ritz and finite element methods.     

On refined nonlinear theories of laminated composite structures with piezoelectric laminae

In this paper geometrically nonlinear theories of laminated composite plates with piezoelectric laminae are developed. The formulations are based on thermopiezoelectricity, and include the coupling between mechanical deformations, temperature changes, and electric displacements. Two different theories are presented: one based on an equivalent-single-layer third-order theory and the other based on the layerwise theory, both of which were developed by the senior author for composite laminates without piezoelectric laminae. In the present study, they are extended to include piezoelectric laminae. In both theories, the electric field is expanded layerwise through the laminate thickness. The dynamic version of the principle of virtual displacements (or Hamilton’s principle) is used to derive the equations of motion and associated boundary conditions of the two theories. These theories may be used to accurately determine the response of laminated plate structures with piezoelectric laminae and subjected to thermomechanical loadings.     

A finite element model for the analysis of 3D axisymmetric laminated shells with piezoelectric sensors and actuators

This paper presents the development of a semi-analytical axisymmetric shell finite element model with piezoelectric layers using the 3D linear elasticity theory. The piezoelectric effect of the material could be used as sensors and/or actuators in way to control shell deformation. In the present 3D axisymmetric model, the equations of motion are expressed by expanding the displacement field using Fourier series in the circumferential direction. Thus, the 3D elasticity equations of motion are reduced to 2D equations involving circumferential harmonics. In the finite element formulation the dependent variables, electric potential and loading are expanded in truncated Fourier series. Special emphasis is given to the coupling between symmetric and anti-symmetric terms for laminated materials with piezoelectric rings. Numerical results obtained with the present model are found to be in good agreement with other finite element solutions.     

Exact analysis for static response of cross ply laminated smart shells

Models and analytical solutions are formulated and developed for the static behavior of cross ply smart laminated shells with extension piezoelectric laminae. The models are based on a rigorous first order shell theory. The state space approach is used to find exact solutions for the static response of cross ply spherical, cylindrical and doubly curved shells with various boundary conditions. The smart shells possess two parallel edges simply supported and the remaining ones having any possible combination of boundary conditions: free, clamped or simply supported. Deflections of cross ply laminated shells incorporating piezoelectric layers are determined. Numerical results of six layer laminates are generated to investigate the shell static behavior. The exact solutions for deflections can be used as benchmarks for approximate solutions such as Rayleigh–Ritz and finite element methods.     

Coupled mechanics and finite element for non‐linear laminated piezoelectric shallow shells undergoing large displacements and rotations

A theoretical framework is presented for analysing the coupled non‐linear response of shallow doubly curved adaptive laminated piezoelectric shells undergoing large displacements and rotations. The formulated mechanics incorporate coupling between in‐plane and flexural stiffness terms due to geometric curvature, coupling between mechanical and electric fields, and encompass geometric non‐linearity effects due to large displacements and rotations. The governing equations are formulated explicitly in orthogonal curvilinear co‐ordinates and are combined with the kinematic assumptions of a mixed‐field shear‐layerwise shell laminate theory. Based on the above formulation, a finite element methodology together with an incremental‐iterative technique, based on Newton–Raphson method is formulated. An eight‐node coupled non‐linear shell element is also developed. Various evaluation cases on laminated curved beams and cylindrical panels illustrate the capability of the shell finite element to predict the complex non‐linear behaviour of active shell structures including buckling, which is not captured by linear shell models. The numerical results also show the inherent capability of piezoelectric shell structures to actively induce large displacements through piezoelectric actuators, by jumping between multiple equilibrium states. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new 4-node quadrilateral FE model with variable electrical degrees of freedom for the analysis of piezoelectric laminated composite plates

A new 4-node quadrilateral finite element is developed for the analysis of laminated composite plates containing distributed piezoelectric layers (surface bonded or embedded). The mechanical part of the element formulation is based on the first-order shear deformation theory. The formulation is established by generalizing that of the high performance Mindlin plate element ARS-Q12, which was derived based on the DKQ element formulation and Timoshenko’s beam theory. The layerwise linear theory is applied to deal with electric potential. Therefore, the number of electrical DOF is a variable depending on the number of plate sub-layers. Thus, there is no need to make any special assumptions with regards to the through-thickness variation of the electric potential, which is the true situation. Furthermore, a new “partial hybrid”-enhanced procedure is presented to improve the stresses solutions, especially for the calculation of transverse shear stresses. The proposed element, denoted as CTMQE, is free of shear locking and it exhibits excellent capability in the analysis of thin to moderately thick piezoelectric laminated composite plates.     

An asymptotic theory for dynamic response of laminated piezoelectric shells

Summary A three-dimensional (3D) asymptotic theory for dynamic analysis of doubly curved laminated piezoelectric shells is formulated on the basis of 3D piezoelectricity. By using the direct elimination, we reduce the twenty-two basic equations of 3D piezoelectricity to eight differential equations in terms of eight primary variables of elastic and electric fields. In the formulation, multiple time scales are introduced to eliminate the secular terms so that the asymptotic expansion is uniform and feasible. By means of nondimensionalization, asymptotic expansion and successive integration, we finally can obtain recurrent sets of governing equations for various order problems. The classical laminated piezoelectric shell theory (CST) is derived as a first-order approximation to the 3D piezoelectricity. Higher-order corrections can be determined by considering the solvability and orthonormality conditions in a systematic and consistent way. Several benchmark solutions for various piezoelectric laminates are given to demonstrate the performance of the theory.     

Non-linear coupled multi-field mechanics and finite element for active multi-stable thermal piezoelectric shells

In this paper, a coupled multi-field mechanics framework is presented for analyzing the non-linear response of shallow doubly curved adaptive laminated piezoelectric shells undergoing large displacements and rotations in thermal environments. The mechanics incorporate coupling between mechanical, electric and thermal fields and encompass geometric non-linearity effects due to large displacements and rotations. The governing equations are formulated explicitly in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates and are combined with the kinematic assumptions of a mixed-field shear-layerwise shell laminate theory. A finite element methodology and an eight-node coupled non-linear shell element are developed. The discrete coupled non-linear equations of motion are linearized and solved, using an extended cylindrical arc-length method together with a Newton–Raphson technique, to enable robust numerical predictions of non-linear active shells transitioning between multiple stable equilibrium paths. Validation and evaluation cases on laminated cylindrical strips and cylindrical panels demonstrate the accuracy of the method and its robust capability to predict non-linear response under thermal and piezoelectric actuator loads. Moreover, the results illustrate the capability of the method to model piezoelectric shells undergoing large shape changes by actively jumping between stable equilibrium states and quantify the strong relationship between shell curvature, applied electric potential, applied temperature differential and induced shape change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Postbuckling of pressure-loaded FGM hybrid cylindrical shells in thermal environments

A postbuckling analysis is presented for a functionally graded cylindrical shell with piezoelectric actuators subjected to lateral or hydrostatic pressure combined with electric loads in thermal environments. Heat conduction and temperature-dependent material properties are both taken into account. The temperature field considered is assumed to be a uniform distribution over the shell surface and varied in the thickness direction and the electric field considered only has non-zero-valued component E_Z. The material properties of functionally graded materials (FGMs) are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents, and the material properties of both FGM and piezoelectric layers are assumed to be temperature-dependent. The governing equations are based on a higher order shear deformation theory with a von Kármán–Donnell-type of kinematic nonlinearity. A boundary layer theory of shell buckling is extended to the case of FGM hybrid laminated cylindrical shells of finite length. A singular perturbation technique is employed to determine the buckling pressure and postbuckling equilibrium paths. The numerical illustrations concern the postbuckling behavior of pressure-loaded, perfect and imperfect, FGM cylindrical shells with fully covered piezoelectric actuators under different sets of thermal and electric loading conditions. The results reveal that temperature dependency, temperature change and volume fraction distribution have a significant effect on the buckling pressure and postbuckling behavior of FGM hybrid cylindrical shells. In contrast, the control voltage only has a very small effect on the buckling pressure and postbuckling behavior of FGM hybrid cylindrical shells.     

Active control of forced vibrations in adaptive structures using a higher order model

This paper deals with a finite element formulation for active control of forced vibrations, including resonance, of thin plate/shell laminated structures with integrated piezoelectric layers, acting as sensors and actuators, based on third-order shear deformation theory. The finite element model is a single layer triangular nonconforming plate/shell element with 24 degrees of freedom for the generalized displacements, and one electrical potential degree of freedom for each piezoelectric element layer, which are surface bonded or embedded in the laminate.

The Newmark method is considered to calculate the dynamic response of the laminated structures, forced to vibrate in the first natural frequency. To achieve a mechanism of active control of the structure dynamic response, a feedback control algorithm is used, coupling the sensor and active piezoelectric layers. The model is applied in the solution of illustrative cases, and the results are presented and discussed.     

Elasticity Solution of a Laminated Clamped Cylindrical Shell with Piezoelectric Layer under Dynamic Load

Dynamic elasticity solution for a clamped, laminated cylindrical shell with two orthotropic layers bounded with a piezoelectric layer and subjected to impulse load distributed on inner surface is presented. The piezoelectric layer serves as sensor/actuator. The governing elasticity PDE equations are reduced to ordinary differential equations by means of Legendre polynomial expansion for displacement and electric potential in the axial direction. The resulting equations are transferred into state space form and reduced to an eigenvalue problem by using Galerkin's finite element in radial direction. The static and dynamic results are presented for [0/90/Piezo] lamination. The radius to thickness ratio effect on dynamic behavior is studied. The results are compared for different thickness ratios and applied electric loads with simply-supported shell results. Time responses for sensor and actuated shell are presented and natural frequencies are compared with simply-supported shell results.     

一种基于Layerwise理论的压电复合材料层合圆柱壳机电耦合有限单元

基于Reddy的Layerwise理论,对含压电铺层的复合材料层合壳的静力响应特性进行了理论研究。基于Layerwise理论,推导了含压电层的复合材料层合壳的应变分量与电场强度表达式。利用Hamilton原理和变分法,推导了压电智能层合壳的欧拉-拉格朗日方程,并采用有限元解法,建立了相应的有限元控制方程及其机电耦合刚度矩阵。通过算例结果与文献中的精确解和试验值进行了对比,表明相较于传统的经典层合板壳理论,本文理论方法的有效性和优势性;并分析了径厚比等参量对两端简支压电智能层合壳静力响应值的影响规律。      

Thermal buckling of shallow/nonshallow piezoelectric-composite cylindrical shells

A thermal buckling analysis is presented for laminated cylindrical shells with surface mounted piezoelectric actuators under combined action of thermal and electrical loads. Derivations of the equations are based on the classical laminated shell theory, using the Sanders nonlinear kinematic relations. The analysis uses the Galerkin method to obtain closed form solutions for the buckling loads of shallow and nonshallow piezolaminated cylindrical shells. Temperature dependency of material properties is taken into account. Illustrative examples are presented to verify the accuracy of the proposed formulation. The effects of the various design parameters on thermal buckling loads are investigated.     

压电梯度薄壳的高阶理论解

压电功能梯度执行器能产生较大的位移、降低应力峰值并避免了粘结层带来的问题,压电梯度超声换能器能拓展频带宽度。本文作者提出了一个简单而有效的求解压电梯度薄壳力、电行为特性的高阶理论。设定位移分量为壳厚的线性函数,而电势沿厚度方向为二次分布。考虑了压电作动元的驱动信号不同时所具有的不同形式的电荷平衡方程。应用Fourier级数法得到压电系数沿厚度坐标变化的梯度壳的力电耦合的解析解。所得结果可退化至梁、板等多种特殊情况。利用所得方程分析了一非均匀简支压电层合板,并与三维精确结果作了对比,两者吻合得很好,表明该理论的正确性。最后具体求解了压电梯度圆柱壳的力、电特性,给出了位移、应力、电势沿厚度方向的变化规律。