Thermal analysis and electro-elastic response of multilayered spherical vessels

A striking correlation of control aims with temperature variation and mechanical deflections promotes the use of smart materials in structural health monitoring applications of laminated structures. To maintain the whole structure in a consistent situation, performing its desired function, and to remove the thermal stresses and degradation associated with the operational circumstances, the assembled smart counterparts should be considered. In this study we explore the transient characteristics of laminated spherical vessels made of functionally graded materials (FGMs) with piezoelectric substrates exposed to mechanical, electrical, and thermal shocks. The material properties of the pyroelectric media are constant, and the host shell is made of isotropic and FGMs, of which the material properties, encompassing thermal and mechanical agents, are assumed to be graded through the thickness. In light of the energy balance among different sub-layers, it is plausible to reconsider the design of the system aiming at extension of the operational life of the constituent materials. In the context of transient analysis, the direct and converse piezoelectric effects and the operational evaluation of the FG vessels are semi-analytically scrutinized in order to present the dynamic perturbations in the corresponding elements. Qualitative patterns of stresses, electric potential, and temperature graphs for different material parameters are calculated and presented graphically in order to clarify the effect of the grading index of material properties, electric and thermal motivations, and geometry of the laminated shell. The data acquired from the proposed concept not only display the behavior of the FG host shell subjected to judiciously varied working conditions, but also can skillfully predict the sensory and actuatory outputs of the embedded smart layers, presenting a highly efficient tool for structural health monitoring and damage detection.