A thermal-electrical-mechanical coupled FE formulation using discrete layer kinematics for the dynamic analysis of smart plates

The use of piezoelectric elements has been increasing in recent years for different applications. In aeronautics their use is spread over disciplines from noise and vibration control to shape control. The inherent complexity of smart structure analysis requires the establishment of powerful tools to capture the different aspects of their performance. The current work presents the dynamic analysis of composite plates incorporating piezoelectric layers. In order to perform this analysis a coupled finite element solver has been developed, based on a 4-node plate finite element incorporating discrete layer kinematic assumptions. The implemented constitutive formulation permits us to assess the dynamic performance of a smart plate under different thermal, mechanical and electrical conditions. In addition, the discrete layer kinematic assumptions as well as the assumption of deformability through the thickness, permit the accurate prediction of the stress levels in every layer and also the voltage and temperature response. The influence of the coupling between thermal, electrical and mechanical fields for different modes is also presented, which shows that the influence of coupling depends on the mode. In addition, the model is also validated for thin plate applications.