AXISYMMETRICAL RESPONSE OF CIRCULAR PLATES WITH PIEZOELECTRIC LAYERS - AN EXACT SOLUTION

Electromechanical responses of symmetric circular laminates consisting of piezoelectric layers are studied, and the influence of surface and interlayer electrodes are involved. The laminates are traction-free o n the top and bottom surfaces, but may be subjected to external forces at the lateral edge and to voltages applied across certain layers. Un der axisymmetric deformation conditions, an approximate model which em ploys Kirchhoff hypothesis and incorporates the charge equation of ele ctrostatic is established. Then, a closed-form three-dimensional solut ion of the laminates is generated in a very straightforward manner by the solution of the approximate model. The three-dimensional solution fulfills all field equations and interface or surface conditions as we ll as the specified electric edge boundary conditions; the only restri ction is that the mechanical edge boundary conditions are satisfied:in an average manner, rather-than point by point. Thus, according to Sai nt-Venant's principle the proposed solutionis exact in the interior re gion of the laminates. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.