Influence of the geometric parameters on the effective properties of piezoelectric composite sensors using real measurements and a new RVE

Abstract

Smart structures have attracted the attention of many researchers due to their applications and potential, such as structural integrity monitoring, vibration and noise suppression, shape control, and damage detection in composites. The development of these structures is closely linked to advances in piezoelectric sensors and actuators. One of the most used options in industries is the Macro Fibre Composites (MFC), which is manufactured by using different components, such as Kapton, Copper Electrode, Piezoceramic Fibre and Epoxy Composite, Copper Electrode, Kapton. Two main types of MFC available are d33 and d31, and they play a fundamental role in the advancement of smart structure technology. This work carried out numerical analyses to evaluate the influence of each component on the effective coefficients of the constitutive matrix for piezoelectric composite d33, based on experimentally measured geometric parameters. The investigated parameters were thickness of the protective layers, width, and thickness of the electrodes. Finite Element Method (FEM) combined with the concepts of a proposed Representative Volume Element (RVE) and homogenization of a periodic medium were used to determine the effective coefficients of the transducer. Through the results, it was possible to identify better geometric specifications for the transducer components in order to obtain higher mechanical and electrical properties.