Modelling of Piezocomposite Functionally Graded Plates for Active Vibration Control

The study presented in this paper develops models of active laminated plates with monolithic piezopolymer sensor layers and composite actuator layers being a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM). The FGPM actuator is considered as a multi-layer structure stacked of distinct piezoelectric fiber composite (PFC) laminae. The laminae differ from each other by the amount of aligned piezoceramic fibres to change the actuator electromechanical properties across the thickness. Two distribution functions, which estimate the gradient of constituents, are applied i.e. power and parabolic. The performance of the FGPM actuators equipped with interdigitated electrodes refers to the poling direction along the fibres. It is assumed that the sensor/actuator layers operate in a closed-loop with velocity feedback. The dynamic analysis is based on the classical laminated plate theory and concerns the transverse vibration suppression of rectangular simply supported symmetrically laminated plates. The numerical simulations are accomplished for recognizing the influence of the applied material compositional gradation on changes in the effective elastic and piezoelectric properties across the FGPM actuators and the active plate structural response presented in terms of amplitudefrequency characteristics. The changes in both the natural frequencies and resonant amplitudes are compared and the influence of the piezoceramic material gradation on the control system operational effectiveness is also discussed.