Distributed Piezoelectric Neurons and Muscles for Shell Continua

摘要

Conventional shell continua are passive, which do not possess any sensation andaction reaction capabilities. In this paper, distributed piezoelectric layers coupled with conventional elastic shell distributed systems are used as distributed neurons (sensors) and muscles (actuators) for structural monitoring and actuation of shells. New theories on distributed neural sensation and actuation of shells are developed based on generic shell continuum coupled with piezoelectric neurons and muscles. Open and closed loop system dynamic equations are also derived. The system equations are further transferred to state equations. The derived theories can be directly simplified to a broad class of geometries, cylindrical shells, spherical shells, conical shells, zero-curvature shells (i.e., plates: rectangular, circular, etc.), beams, etc. Applications of the theories to a cylindrical shell using four system parameters, two Lame's parameters and two radii of curvature, are demonstrated.