A higher-order temperature theory for coupled thermo-piezoelectric-mechanical modeling of smart composites (Q1580866)

The authors are concerned with smart composite laminates composed of coupled thermo-piezoelectric layers with surface-bonded piezoelectric actuators. The temperature distribution is assumed as cubic in the thickness of the plate, so that general thermal boundary conditions are satisfied at both the top and the bottom of the laminate. In the higher-order displacement field the shear stress vanishes on plate surfaces and is finite elsewhere. The electric scalar potential is taken as layerwise-Iinear in the thickness of the plate. The authors derive the governing finite element equations which are solved for a uniform fiber-reinforced graphite/epoxy laminate. The results are compared with those obtained by ANSYS (a commercial finite element code) to validate the application of higher-order temperature theory.