Transient vibration of smart structures using a coupled piezoelectric-mechanical theory

A smart structural model is developed to analytically determine the transient response of arbitrary structures with piezoelectric materials and attached electrical circuitry. The equations of motion are formulated using a coupled piezoelectric formulation solving for strain and electric charge. The composite host structure is modelled using a refined higher-order laminate theory and additional degrees of freedom are then added to describe any attached electrical circuitry. The developed model results in a general framework that can be useful in solving a wide variety of coupled piezoelectric-mechanical problems. A comparison is made with classical plate theory and uncoupled piezoelectric modelling techniques to illustrate the importance of proper modelling in order to accurately estimate sensor response during transient loading of adaptive structures. The model is compared with experimental results, showing the model to be capable of capturing several effects not possible with traditional smart structures modelling techniques.