Buckling and post-buckling of piezoelectric plates using finite element method

The finite element equations considering the geometrical nonlinearity of piezoelectric smart structures are derived based on the total Lagrange method under the assumption of weak coupling between electricity and mechanics. Buckling and post-buckling of piezoelectric-plate with various boundary conditions are investigated. The calculated results show that piezoelectric effects and external voltage can hardly affect the buckling and post-buckling characteristics of piezoelectric-plate under uniaxial pressure while the buckling caused by displacement in-plane has much to do with the electric field. The present work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 59635140).