Static and dynamic thermo-electro-mechanical analysis of angle-ply hybrid piezoelectric beams using an efficient coupled zigzag theory

This work presents static and dynamic electro-thermo-mechanical analysis of angle-ply hybrid piezoelectric beams using a recently developed efficient coupled zigzag theory. In this theory, the displacement approximations account for the thermoelectric strain in the thickness direction and the shear traction-free conditions at the top and the bottom of the beam and the shear continuity conditions at the layer interfaces are exactly satisfied. The theory is assessed against two-dimensional exact piezo-thermo-elasticity solution and compared with the first and third order shear deformation theories. The effect of the span-to-thickness ratio, type of loading and the orientation of the angle-plys on the accuracy of the theories is investigated. It has been concluded that, in general, the new zigzag theory is more accurate than the other theories considered.