Nonlinear Analysis of Laminated Beams with Braided Fiber Piezoelectric Composite Actuators

Abstract

This paper presents a novel approach for improving the reliability and driving capability of piezoelectric actuators by developing braided fiber piezoelectric composite (BFPC) actuators. The nonlinear analysis of laminated beams integrated with the BFPC actuators under electric load is presented. According to Timoshenko beam theory and von Kármán nonlinear geometric relation, the strain components of the piezoelectric laminated beams are obtained. The nonlinear governing equations of the piezoelectric laminated beams are derived by the Galerkin method and principle of minimum potential energy, and then are solved through the direct iterative method. The accuracy of this method is demonstrated by its comparison with the published results. The driving capability of the BFPC actuator and the existing piezoelectric composite actuator is compared. The influences of the fiber volume fraction, actuator thickness, simply supported beam thickness and applied voltage on the driving capability of the BFPC actuators are discussed through a comprehensive parametric study. The numerical results illustrate that the BFPC actuators with excellent driving capability can effectively control the deformation of smart structures.