Coupled micro to macro analysis of a composite that hosts embedded piezoelectric actuators

A coupled micro-macromechanical approach is employed to model a fiber reinforced composite actuated by distributed piezoelectric patches. The coupled electro-mechanical behavior of the piezoelectric patch is formulated. The microstructures of the fiber reinforced composite and the piezoelectric composite are analyzed, and their mutual influence on the performance of the entire composite structure is estimated. Different cases of voltages, piezoelectric volume fractions and number of composite layers are studied. In-plane stresses across the composite thickness are presented to illustrate the resulting responses.