Application of the potential function method in piezothermoelasticity: Solutions for composite circular plates

Developments in piezothermoelasticity having relevance to intelligent struc tures are discussed briefly. The equations governing the axisymmetric behav ior of a piezoelastic body with hexagonal material symmetry of class 6 mm a re reviewed. A general solution procedure based upon potential functions is presented for the analysis of transversely isotropic thermoelastic and pie zothermoelastic bodies. The method is used to derive exact solutions to pro blems involving the response of a composite circular plate consisting of a piezoelectric material attached to a layer of structural material. Numerica l results are presented for cases of: (i) a prescribed thermal loading; (ii ) an inverse problem in which the thermal loading is determined from knowle dge of induced electric potential; (iii) a control problem in which an elec tric potential is applied to control thermally induced deformation; and (iv ) an intelligent plate problem, where the piezoelectric layer serves both t o sense the thermal loading and to suppress the deformation.