Bending Behavior of Piezo-Hygrothermo-Elastic Smart Laminated Composite Flat and Curved Plates with Active Control

The actuation and sensing behavior of piezo-hygrothermo-elastic flat and curved plates with active control is presented. A finite element procedure involving coupled piezoelectric field with hygrothermal strain is derived using first order shear deformation theory and is implemented in a nine-noded Lagrangian plate element. The accuracy of the element to model the piezoelectric, pyroelectric, hygroelastic, and thermoelastic behaviors of flat and doubly curved plates is validated with standard benchmark problems. The directional actuation that represents the piezoelectric anisotropy is introduced in the analysis and a comparison is made with isotropic actuation to control the thermal and moisture induced deformation in the laminated plates. Numerical studies are carried out with different fiber orientations to capture the influence of piezoelectric anisotropy on the actuation and sensing characteristics of the active lamina. The directionally actuated piezoelectric lamina that has a reduced piezoelectric capability in transverse direction is efficient, if properly tailored along the fiber directions. However, it is observed that the isotropic actuation has the potential to control the thermal and moisture developed deflection in angle-ply and cross-ply laminates. The actuator lamina is efficient if placed on the top of curved laminates in controlling the deflection.