Piezoelectric thin shell theoretical model and eigenfunction analysis of radially polarized ceramic cylinders D. D.

Ebenezer and Pushpa Abraham A piezoelectric thin shell theoretical model of radially polarized ceramic cylinders is first developed. An eigenfunction approach is then used to determine the displacement, stress, electric field, and input electrical admittance of the cylinder. In the model, the effect of bending strain is included and it is assumed that the electric field varies linearly between the electrodes. It is then shown that the displacement and electric field are uncoupled, i.e., it is possible to first determine the displacement and then determine the electric field. It is also noted that, irrespective of the dimensions of the cylinder and the boundary conditions, the electric field can be much greater than the ratio of the applied voltage to the distance between electrodes. Next, the equations of motion and the boundary conditions are derived by using Hamiltons variational principle. They are solved by using the eigenfunction approach. The eigenfunctions are determined here by using a general method and, therefore, cylinders with arbitrary boundary conditions can be analyzed. The same method can be used even if other thin shell theories are used. It is shown that experimental resonance frequencies and input electrical admittance of freefree cylinders are in good agreement with those computed using the present model. It is also shown that the electric field is in good agreement with the work of other investigators. J. Acoustical Soc. America Vol. 105 pp 154-163 (1999).