Thermo-piezo-elastic analysis of amplified piezoceramic actuators using a refined one-dimensional model

The thermo-piezo-elastic analysis of amplified piezoceramic actuators is presented in this article. A refined one-dimensional multi-field finite element model, based on the Carrera Unified Formulation, has been developed. Thermal and piezoelectric effects have been included in the structural model and a fully coupled thermo-piezo-elastic analysis has been performed. The finite element model has been assessed by comparing it with results from open literature The model has also been used to perform the analysis of complex amplified piezoceramic actuators. These actuators are able to amplify the displacements produced by piezoceramic material, but they suffer from high deformations when they undergo high thermal loads. An accurate thermal analysis has been performed to evaluate the strain/stress field. The results show the accuracy of the present model and its capabilities in multi-field analyses.