Homogenized Model of Piezoelectric Composite Structure for Sensing Purposes

This paper presents an approach for homogenization of complex structure of macro-fibre composites in order to substitute the complicated layer composition with one single layer of homogenous material with equivalent mechanical and piezoelectric properties. A representative volume element is subjected to series of load cases in order to obtain the required properties of the homogenized model. The simulation results are validated by experimental measurements of output voltage on a fixed beam with attached macro-fiber composite sensors, subjected to an external excitation on a 1st and 2nd natural frequency. A satisfactory match between the results of simulations and experiment can be observed, with a maximum difference of 5% in the transition phases. This approach could be beneficial for future development of piezoelectric skins, with the potential application for non-destructive sensing and structure health monitoring in aerospace industry.