Invariant formulation of the electromechanical enthalpy function of transversely isotropic piezoelectric materials

Theoretical and numerical aspects of the formulation of electromechanically coupled, transversely isotropic solids are discussed within the framework of the invariant theory. The main goal is the representation of the governing constitutive equations for reversible material behaviour based on an anisotropic electromechanical enthalpy function, which automatically fulfills the requirements of material symmetry. The introduction of a preferred direction in the argument list of the enthalpy function allows the construction of isotropic tensor functions, which reflect the inherent geometrical and physical symmetries of the polarized medium. After presenting the general framework, we consider two important model problems within this setting: i) the linear piezoelectric solid; and ii) the nonlinear electrostriction. A parameter identification of the invariant- and the common coordinate-dependent formulation is performed for both cases. The tensor generators for the stresses, electric displacements and the moduli are derived in detail, and some representative numerical examples are presented.