Enhancement of pre-buckling behavior of composite beams with geometric imperfections using piezoelectric actuators

Abstract The non-linear behavior of slightly crooked slender composite beams with piezoelectric actuators is addressed. Von Karman non-linear strain–displacement relations and linear constitutive relations for both the piezoelectric and composite materials are used. The piezoelectric control of crooked beams subjected to axial compression renders its equilibrium path as close as possible to that of the ideal perfect beam. A modal analysis demonstrates that, through the application of suitable voltages to the actuators, the elimination of certain buckling mode contributions to the beam response is feasible and highly desirable. The equilibrium path of imperfect structures is shown to be dramatically changed via piezoelectric control; this has potential applications in the post-buckling of structures with negative slope of the secondary equilibrium path.