Active control of adaptive laminated structures with bonded piezoelectric sensors and actuators

A finite element formulation for active vibration control of thin plate laminated structures with integrated piezoelectric layers, acting as sensors and actuators, is presented in this paper. The finite element model is a nonconforming single-layer triangular plate/shell element with 18 degrees of freedom for the generalized displacements and one electrical potential degree of freedom for each piezoelectric element layer. The model is based on the Kirchhoff classical laminated theory, and can be applied to plate and shell adaptive structures. To achieve a mechanism of active control of the structure dynamic response, a feedback control algorithm is used, coupling the sensor and active piezoelectric layers, and the Newmark method is considered to calculate the dynamic response of the laminated structures. The model is applied in the solution of four illustrative cases, and the results are presented and discussed.