Modeling of Magnetoelectric Composites Using Homogenization Techniques

Composite materials constituted of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials exhibit a so-called magnetoelectric effect, much larger than the effect observed intrinsically in some homogeneous materials. This composite magnetoelectric effect results from magneto-mechanical and electromechanical coupling phenomena. It is studied to develop a new class of sensors and actuators. For an optimal design of such composites, accurate modeling tools are necessary. We propose a semi-analytical model based on homogenization techniques: from the constitutive laws of the constituents and the applied loading, the magnetoelectric effect is deduced. This model is applied to a Terfenol-D/P(VDF-TrFE) composite, and the sensitivity to some modeling parameters is discussed.