Modified strength of materials and energy approach to determine effective properties of piezoelectric fiber reinforced composite

Abstract

In this paper, modified strength of materials (MSM) and strain energy-based approach have been used to determine effective electro-mechanical properties of piezoelectric fiber reinforced composites (PFRC). Based upon these methods, micromechanics model has been formulated using a rectangular representative volume element (RVE) which contains both fiber as well as matrix phases. Result obtained has been compared with strength of materials (SM) approach to the similar problems available in literatures. Results suggest that there is wide variation in estimation of properties obtained through strength of materials method to the methods adopted in this work. Strength of materials (SM) method in most of cases overestimates or underestimates the actual result. Though each of such approaches has its own limitations, the adopted method in this paper refines result obtained through strength of materials (SM), as it takes into account of the several conditions, which has not been dealt while analysing with strength of materials method. Both modified strength of materials and energy approach reduces aberration generated in result, due to generation of unequal strain in matrix and fiber phases as well as Poisson’s ratio mismatch between fiber and matrix phases. © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.