Analytical solutions of antisymmetric angle-ply laminated plates with thickness–shearpiezoelectric actuators

Abstract

Analytical solutions are obtained for the bending deformation of antisymmetric angle-plylaminated plates with thickness–shear piezoelectric actuators. The laminated plates possesstwo opposite edges that are simply supported, the remaining two edges have any possiblecombination of boundary conditions: free, clamped, or simply supported. The displacementfield of the laminated plates follows the first-order shear deformation theory. The Lévymethod, in conjunction with the state-space approach, is used to analytically determine thebending solutions of plates with various boundary conditions. Six layer laminates are usedto numerically demonstrate the analytical solutions and to investigate the laminates’ staticbehavior. Interesting deflection patterns are generated by the shear piezoelectricactuators for laminates of various boundary conditions. These findings suggestpromising potential for exploiting the considered laminates in many engineeringapplications. The effects of the composite ply angle and the piezoelectric ply angle onthe laminate deflection are also investigated. It is observed that increasing thepiezoelectric ply angle always magnifies the deflection, while increasing the compositeangle provides concave downward curves for the deflection variation with theangle.