Modeling of smart composites on account of actuation, thermal conductivity and hygroscopic absorption

Abstract

The asymptotic homogenization models for smart composite materials are derived and effective elastic, actuation, thermal expansion and hygroscopic expansion coefficients for smart structures are obtained. The actuation coefficients characterize the intrinsic transducer nature of active smart materials that can be used to induce strains and stresses in a coordinated fashion. Examples of such actuators employed with smart composite material systems are derived from piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, and some other materials. The pertinent mathematical framework is that of asymptotic homogenization. The objective is to transform a general anisotropic composite material with a regular array of reinforcements and/or actuators into a simpler one that is characterized by some effective coefficients; it is implicit, of course, that the physical problem based on these homogenized coefficients should give predictions differing as little as possible from those of the original problem. The effectiveness of the derived models is illustrated by means of two- and three-dimensional examples.