Optimal design of piezolaminated structures

This paper presents refined finite element models based on higher-order displacement fields to study the mechanical and electrical behavior of laminated composite plate structures with embedded and/or surface bonded piezoelectric actuators and sensors. Sensitivity analysis and optimization techniques are also applied in order to maximize the piezoelectric actuator efficiency, improve the structural performance and/or minimize the weight of the structure. The application of structural optimization to the static shape control of adaptive structures is also addressed. To show the performance of the proposed models, several illustrative and simple examples are presented.