The Effect of Temperature Dependent Material Properties on the Response of Piezoelectric Composite Materials

Analytical formulations for thermopiezoelectric composite materials are extended to account for thermal effects arising from temperature dependent material properties. The updated mechanics also has the inherent capability to capture thermal effects which arise due to coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch and pyroelectric phenomena, providing a comprehensive thermal analysis capability. The thermal effects are represented at the material level through the thermopiezoelectric constitutive equations. These equations are incorporated into a layerwise laminate theory to provide a unified representation of the coupled mechanical, electrical, and thermal response of piezoelectric composite materials. Corresponding finite element equations are derived and implemented for beams and plates to model the active and sensory response of piezoelectric composite laminates. Applications demonstrate the significance of incorporating temperature dependent material properties on the response of piezoelectric composite beams and plates in both active and sensory configurations.