Modelling of a Piezoelectric Actuator under Large Deformation for Smart Structure Applications

The current paper presents our recent progress in the analysis and simulation of the electromechanical response of piezoelectric actuators. Of particular interest is the general behavior of thin-sheet actuators. As fundamental elements, this type of actuator plays an important role in the design of smart structures, which can be programed and/or reconfigured in service. Although the linear behavior of this type of actuator has been extensively investigated, there has been a lack of study of their nonlinear electromechanical behavior under large deformation. The current theoretical analysis evaluates the effects of nonlinearity on the performance of a piezoelectric thin-sheet actuator under coupled electromechanical loads. The actuator is modelled as a Euler-Bernoulli beam with consideration of the electromechanical coupling effect. The response of the actuator is dominated by the load transfer between the actuator and the host structure, and as a result, the formulation of the problem is established by developing nonlinear integral equations to determine the interfacial stresses. The coupled nonlinear behavior of the actuator under various mechanical and electrical loads is then evaluated. The current study provides new valuable results describing the nonlinear behavior of piezoelectric actuators and enhances the understanding of actuator performance in smart structure applications.