Refined finite element for piezoelectric laminated composite beams

摘要

Here, a C-1 finite element is formulated for analyzing the bending/torsional behavior of rectangular piezoelectric laminated composite beams. The formulation includes transverse shear, warping due to torsion and electro-elastic coupling effects. The shear strain is represented by a cosine function of a higher order in nature, thus avoiding shear correction factors. The warping function obtained from a three-dimensional elasticity solution is incorporated in the present model. The distribution of the electric potential through the thickness is accounted for in the formulation based on the observation of the three-dimensional solution. The efficacy of the laminated piezoelectric composite element is tested comparing the results with those of analytical and three-dimensional finite element models.