Piezothermoelasticity and Precision Control of Piezoelectric Systems: Theory and Finite Element Analysis

TLDR: In this paper, a 3D piezothermoelastic thin hexahedron finite element with three internal degrees of freedom is formulated using a variational formulation which includes thermal, electric, and mechanical energies.

Abstract: Piezothermoelastic effects of distributed piezoelectric sensor/actuator and structural systems are studied . Distributed controls (static and dynamic) of pizeoelectric laminates subjected to a steady state temperature field are investigated. Piezothermoelastic constitutive equations are defined, followed by three energy functionals for the displacement, electric, and temperature fields, respectively. A new 3D piezothermoelastic thin hexahedron finite element with three internal degrees of freedom is formulated using a variational formulation which includes thermal, electric, and mechanical energies. A system equetion for the piezoelcectric continuum exposed to combined displacement, electic, and temperature fields is formulated. Thermal influences on the sensing and control of piezoelectric PZT/steel laminates are ivestigated