Control of adaptive shells with thermal and mechanical excitations

Shell-type components and structures are very common in many mechanical and structural systems. Modelling and analysis of adaptive piezothermoelastic shell laminates represent high level of sophistication and complexity. Acco rdingly, a numerical method is developed to investigate the complicated tem perature, mechanical, and control interactions of piezothermoelastic shell composites in this study. Constitutive equations and governing equations of a generic piezothermoelastic continuum are defined first. Strain-displacem ent relations, electric field-potential relations, thermal gradient-tempera ture relations of laminated shell composites are then defined. A new piezot hermoelastic composite triangular shell finite element is formulated and de veloped. Matrix equations of the piezothermoelastic shell laminate are deri ved, in which mechanical, temperature, and electric force vectors are also defined. The electric force vector is used to active control of the shell l aminates. Finite element solutions of a piezoelectric laminated composite p late are compared with experimental data and numerical solutions first. Dis tributed control of a piezoelectric laminated semicircular shell subjected to mechanical and temperature (thermal shock) excitations is investigated a nd control effectiveness evaluated. (C) 2000 Academic Press.