Finite element modeling of lead magnesium niobate electrostrictive materials: Static analysis

New lead magnesium niobate (PMN) ceramics, which can generate large strains at moderate electric fields, are good candidates for future actuators or sonar projectors. In this paper, two finite element models are proposed to describe static analysis of electrostrictive materials. Both models include quadratic dependence of strain with electrical displacement, assume constant temperature, and exclude hysteresis. One of the models includes the saturation of the polarization. The theoretical formulation is justified by the method of the weighted residuals. The numerical implementation is presented. The validation is performed by comparing numerical results with measurements for a PMN bar subjected to mechanical prestress and de electric field. (C) 1998 Acoustical Society of America.