Piezothermoelastic analysis of a cross-ply laminate considering the effects of transverse shear and coupling

In this study, we treat the behavior of a piezothermoelastic composite plate taking into account the effects of transverse shear and coupling among mechanical, thermal, and electrostatic fields. As an analytical model, we consider a rectangular laminate composed of several fiber-reinforced laminae and a piezoelectric layer. All the laminae are assumed to exhibit 2-mm symmetry and the principal axes of anisotropy to coincide with coordinate axes, that is, a cross-ply laminate is considered We assume that the laminate is subjected to mechanical, thermal and electrical loads with all edges simply supported and treat the problem as a coupled piezothemoelastic one. Numerical calculation is carried out to examine the effects of transverse shear and coupling on the behavior of the laminate. Moreover, the control of the deflection by applied voltage is examined.