Interactions between N circular cylindrical inclusions in a piezoelectric matrix

Abstract

This paper studies the interactions between N randomly-distributed cylindrical inclusions in a piezoelectric matrix. The inclusions are assumed to be perfectly bounded to the matrix, which is subjected to an anti-plane shear stress and an in-plane electric field at infinity. Based on the complex variable method, the complex potentials in the matrix and inside the inclusions are first obtained in form of power series, and then approximate solutions for electroelastic fields are derived. Numerical examples are presented to discuss the influences of the inclusion array, inclusion size and inclusion properties on couple fields in the matrix and inclusions. Solutions for the case of an infinite piezoelectric matrix with N circular holes or an infinite elastic matrix containing N circular piezoelectric fibers can also be obtained as special cases of the present work. It is shown that the electroelastic field distribution in a piezoelectric material with multiple inclusions is significantly different from that in the case of a single inclusion.