Abstract:
Based on the Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM), a simplified thermopiezoelastic model for piezoelectric composite laminates under mechanical, thermal and electronic loads is presented in order to effectively formulate the originally one-way coupled thermopiezoelasticity problem. The total potential functional is deduced based on the principle of virtual work. Based on the VAM, the total potential functional is asymptotically expanded to a series of 2-D functional by taking advantage of the inherent small parameter. The approximate functional after dimensionality reduction is converted to a form of the Reissner model. Finally, the recovery relations for 3-D fields are provided to accurately predict the distribution of 3-D fields along the thickness direction. The results show that the 3-D field recovered by this model agrees better with the exact results than that by the First-Order Shear Deformation Theory (FOSDT) and Classic Laminated Theory (CLT), indicating the validity of this piezoelectric composite laminates model.