Finite element and experimental investigation of piezoelectric actuated smart shells

In the recent years, research on the use of piezoelectric actuators for shape and vibration control of structures has been gaining prominence. Analytical and finite element models have been developed to analyze structures under piezoelectric actuation, but experimental studies, particularly on curved structures, are limited. In the current study, a finite element model is developed for piezoelectric actuated shell structures, based on Ahmad's reduced shell element. Experiments have been conducted on a number of structures like straight beams, curved beams, and shells. Finite element and experimental results have been shown to match well. Nonlinear behavior has been observed in the experiments, particularly at higher fields, and complete hysteresis loops have been presented. The finite element is then applied to the study of deformation of a typical paraboloid shell (representative antenna shell) under piezoelectric actuation. It has been shown that piezoelectric actuation can be used to induce desired deformation shapes in the antenna shell, which result in beam steering and shaping.