Active buckling control of smart composite plates-finite-element analysis

A finite-element model is developed for the active buckling control of laminated composite plates using piezoelectric materials. The finite-element model is based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory in conjunction with linear piezoelectric theory. The piezoelectric sensors and actuators can be surface bonded or embedded and can be either continuous or segmented. The dynamic buckling behavior of the laminated plate subjected to a linearly increasing uniaxial compressive load is investigated. The sensor output is used to determine the input to the actuator using a proportional control algorithm. The forces induced by the piezoelectric actuators under the applied voltage fields enhance the critical buckling load. Finite-element solutions are presented for composite plates with clamped and simply supported boundary conditions and the effectiveness of piezoelectric materials in enhancing the buckling loads is demonstrated.