FREE VIBRATION OF LAYERED PIEZOELECTRIC SPHERICAL CAPS

The free asymmetric and axisymmetric vibration of layered piezoelectric spherical shells are analyzed using a two-dimensional first order shear deformable shell theory. Piecewise Hermite interpolation polynomials are used to approximate the unknowns in the azimuthal direction, to Fourier approximations in the circumferential direction. Natural frequencies for layered elastic caps were computed and found to be in close agreement with other studies and results from a discrete-layer model of the equations of linear elasticity. Several new results are calculated for layered piezoelectric spherical caps with clamped and hinged boundary conditions.