3D piezoelectric composite honeycombs with alternating bi-material beam: An active control method for elastic properties

Abstract

This paper introduces 3D piezoelectric composite honeycombs (3D PCH) that exhibit voltage-dependent elastic properties. The 3D PCH consists of alternating bi-material beams. Under the condition of applied stress and voltage, the deformation of the 3D PCH depends on the bi-material beam under the effect of electromechanical coupling. The coupling effect enables active elastic properties of the structure by controlling the voltage and stress. Only the bending deformation of the bi-material beam is considered and the axial deformation of the beam is ignored. The proposed analytical approach and the closed-form expression for the equivalent elastic properties are obtained based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The theoretical results are verified by finite element simulations. The results show that the elastic properties of the 3D PCH are related to the bi-material beam and the geometric parameters. The voltage-dependent Young's modulus and strain can be regulated by adjusting the applied voltage. This work provides an approach to studying the elastic properties of these active bi-material structures.