SOLUTION OF A COUPLED PROBLEM OF THERMOPIEZOELECTRICITY BASED ON A GEOMETRICALLY EXACT SHELL ELEMENT

Based on a 7-parameter shell model, a numerical algorithm has been developed for solving a coupled problem of thermoelectroelasticity for a laminated piezoelectric shell subjected to a thermoelectromechanical loading. As unknowns, six tangential and transverse displacements of outer surfaces and the transverse displacement of shell midsurface are chosen. This choice provides a possibility of utilizing the complete 3D constitutive equations of thermopiezoelectricity. A geometrically exact 3D hybrid piezoelectric shell element is formulated by using nonconventional analytical integration. With the help of this finite element, solutions of coupled problems of thermoelectroelasticity for laminated plates and shells with segmented and distributed piezoelectric sensors and actuators are obtained.