Active control of plates using functionally graded piezocomposite layers

The paper is aimed at active suppression of flexural vibration of thin rectangular symmetrically laminated plates by means of piezoelectric sensor and actuator layers, which operate in a constant-gain velocity feedback. A new class of the actuator layer made of piezocomposite functionally graded material (FGM) and equipped with interdigitated surface electrodes (IDEs) is applied. A change of electromechanical properties through the actuator layer thickness is obtained by stacking laminae with the piezoceramic (PZT) fibers distributed according to the assumed variation of the PZT volume fraction. The effective material parameters are derived and partial differential equation of the active plate motion is formulated based on the classical laminated plate theory. The dynamic analysis refers to the steady-state vibration of the globally orthotropic plate. The results of numerical simulation show the distributions of both the effective piezoelectric constants and stiffness parameters in the thickness direction of the actuator layer, and also the effect of the applied functionally graded actuator on the plate dynamic response depending on the PZT fiber configuration.