A multiscale model for damage progression and detection in piezo/pyroelectric composite laminates

Abstract

Assessment of damage initiation and progression in composite structures reinforced with electrically active filaments is modeled in a multiscale analysis. The analysis developed is a two-tier, interactive analysis, which involves two length scales; macroscopic, and microscopic. The proposed multiscale analysis provides seamless integration of the mechanics at the two length scales, including piezoelectric and pyroelectric coupling effects and damage under overall thermomechanical loads and an electric field applied to electroactive fibers. The macromechanical analysis is performed for multidirectional, fibrous laminates using the lamination theory, including bending, and the micromechanical analysis is performed using a two-phase model and a periodic array model. The effect of eigenstrains caused by thermomechanical, electromechanical, and thermoelectric coupling at both the microscopic and macroscopic length scales is accounted for by a two-tier transformation field analysis (TFA).