Flexural Behavior of Functionally Graded Plates with Piezoelectric Materials

In the perspective of significant industrial applications and research works being conducted on functionally graded materials (FGMs), the present article seeks to demonstrate the flexural behavior of smart functionally graded plate with the use of recently developed inverse hyperbolic shear deformation theory. The kinematic field of this theory consists of five independent primary variables and inherently satisfies the traction-free boundary conditions of transverse shear stresses at the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. The piezoelectric fiber-reinforced composite (PFRC) lamina is considered as the actuator of the smart structure. The Navier's solution technique is used to convert the system of partial differential equations derived from the virtual work principle to a set of five algebraic equations. The response of the smart plate is determined in the form of deflection and stresses subjected to electromechanical load. The three-dimensional equilibrium equations of elasticity are used to accurately determine the transverse shear stresses. The responses obtained from the numerical examples of FGM plate integrated with PFRC layer are compared with the elasticity solutions and with the various kinematic models available in the existing literature. The actuation in the response of the smart FGM plate due to the PFRC layer is also presented in the form of graphs for verifying the controlling capacity.