DEFORMATION CONTROL OF LAMINATED COMPOSITE PLATES CONTAINING PIEZOELECTRIC LAYERS UNDER THERMAL LOADING

A composite plate containing piezoceramics on both the upper and bottom surfaces is considered. Based on the piezoelectricity with consideration for the coupling between the strain field and the electric field, a finite element formulation is developed. An eight-node three-dimensional brick element is used, and three-dimensional incompatible modes are introduced to take into account the bending behavior of the structure. The response of the structure and the sensor electrical outputs subjected to thermal loading as well as the required voltage that should be applied to reduce the deflection resulting from thermal loading are analyzed. In addition, this study also analyzes the effect of coupling between the strain field and the electrical field. It shows that the coupling effect may not be negligible; the larger the piezoelectric constant, or the thinner the main structure, the larger the coupling effect will be.