On a semi-infinite crack penetrating a piezoelectric circular inhomogeneity with a viscous interface

We investigate a semi-infinite crack penetrating a piezoelectric circular inhomogeneity bonded to an infinite piezoelectric matrix through a linear viscous interface. The tip of the crack is at the center of the circular inhomogeneity. By means of the complex variable and conformal mapping methods, exact closed-form solutions in terms of elementary functions are derived for the following three loading cases: (i) nominal Mode-III stress and electric displacement intensity factors at infinity; (ii) a piezoelectric screw dislocation located in the unbounded matrix; and (iii) a piezoelectric screw dislocation located in the inhomogeneity. The time-dependent electroelastic field in the cracked composite system is obtained. Particularly the time-dependent stress and electric displacement intensity factors at the crack tip, jumps in the displacement and electric potential across the crack surfaces, displacement jump across the viscous interface, and image force acting on the piezoelectric screw dislocation are all derived. It is found that the value of the relaxation (or characteristic) time for this cracked composite system is just twice as that for the same fibrous composite system without crack. Finally, we extend the methods to the more general scenario where a semi-infinite wedge crack is within the inhomogeneity/matrix composite system with a viscous interface.     

The scattering of P-waves by a piezoelectric particle with FGPM interfacial layers in a polymer matrix

Propagation of P-wave in an unbounded elastic polymer medium which contains a set of nested concentric spherical piezoelectric inhomogeneities is formulated. The polymer matrix is made of Epoxy and is isotropic; each phase of the inhomogeneity is made of a different piezoelectric material and is radially polarized and has spherical isotropy. Note that the individual phases are homogeneous, and all interfaces are perfectly bonded. The scattered displacement and electric potentials in the matrix are expressed in terms of spherical wave vector functions and Legendre functions, respectively. The transmitted displacement and electric potentials within each phase of the piezoelectric particle are expressed in terms of Legendre functions. The equations of motion and electrostatics in each phase of the piezoelectric inhomogeneity lead to a system of coupled second order differential equations, which is solved using the generalized Frobenius series. The present theory is extended to the case where the core of the inhomogeneity is made of PZT-4 and its coating is made of functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) whose microstructural composition varies smoothly from PZT-4 at the core–coating interface to Epoxy at the coating–matrix interface. The effects of different types of variation in the electro-mechanical properties of FGPM on scattering cross-section and other electro-mechanical fields are addressed. The present theory is valid for arbitrary coating thickness, and arbitrary frequencies.     

A piezoelectric medium containing a cylindrical inhomogeneity: Role of electric capacitors and mechanical imperfections

Often, during fabrication processes of fiber–matrix composites, the pertinent interface may be made imperfectly bonded either deliberately or undesirably. The effect of electric capacitors and mechanical imperfections on the electro-mechanical fields associated with an anisotropic piezoelectric matrix containing a cylindrical inhomogeneity made of a different anisotropic piezoelectric material is of interest. In fact the interface imperfection condition presented in this paper is quite general, in the sense that any combination of mechanical and electrical imperfections may exist. The interface electrical imperfection is mimicked by the electric capacitors. The capacity of the capacitors is a measure of the electrical imperfection. The notion of complete electric barrier realizes when the capacity is equal to zero. For finite values of capacity, different electrical imperfections are modeled. When the capacity is infinitely large, perfect electrical interface reveals.     

THE PERIODIC CRACK PROBLEM IN BONDED PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS

The problem of a periodic array of parallel cracks in a homogeneous piezoelectric strip bonded to a functionally graded piezoelectric material is investigated for inhomogeneous continuum.It is assumed that the material inhomogeneity is represented as the spatial varia- tion of the shear modulus in the form of an exponential function along the direction of cracks. The mixed boundary value problem is reduced to a singular integral equation by applying the Fourier transform,and the singular integral equation is solved numerically by using the Gauss- Chebyshev integration technique.Numerical results are obtained to illustrate the variations of the stress intensity factors as a function of the crack periodicity for different values of the material inhomogeneity.     

The interaction between a screw dislocation and a rigid wedge inhomogeneity with an elastic circular inhomogeneity at the tip

The interaction between a screw dislocation and an elastic semi-cylindrical inhomogeneity abutting on a rigid half-plane is investigated. Utilizing the image dislocations method, the closed form solutions of the stress fields in the matrix and the inhomogeneity region are derived. The image force acting on the dislocation is also calculated. The results were used to study the interaction between a screw dislocation and a rigid wedge inhomogeneity with an elastic circular inhomogeneity at the tip by means of conformal mapping. The results show that an unstable equilibrium point of the dislocation near the semi-cylindrical inhomogeneity is found when the inhomogeneity is softer than the matrix. Moreover, the force on the dislocation is strongly affected by the position of the dislocation and the shear modulus of the semi-circular inhomogeneity. Positive screw dislocations can reduce the SIF of the rigid wedge inhomogeneity (shielding effect) only when it located in the lower half-plane. The shielding effect increases with the increase of the shear modulu of both the matrix and the inhomogeneity and increases with the increase of the wedge angle. The shielding effect (or anti-shielding effect) reaches the maximum when the dislocation tends to the wedge inhomogeneity interface.     

The interaction between a screw dislocation and a circular inhomogeneity in gradient elasticity

The interaction between a screw dislocation and a circular inhomogeneity in gradient elasticity is investigated. The screw dislocation is located inside either the inhomogeneity or the matrix. By using the Fourier transform method, closed analytical solutions are obtained when the inhomogeneity and the matrix have the same gradient coefficient. The explicit expressions of image forces exerted on screw dislocations are derived. The motion of the appointed screw dislocation and its equilibrium positions are discussed. The results show that the classical singularity is eliminated. Especially, for the case of a tiny inhomogeneity, the relation of dislocations and inhomogeneities become quite different. The screw dislocation may be attracted by the stiff inhomogeneity and repelled by the soft inhomogeneity when it tends to the interface. So there is an unstable equilibrium position when a dislocation tends to a tiny stiff inhomogeneity and there is a stable equilibrium position when a dislocation tends to a tiny soft inhomogeneity.     

Energy density and release rate study of an elliptic-arc interface crack in piezoelectric solid under anti-plane shear

The anti-plane problem of an elliptical inhomogeneity with an interfacial crack in piezoelectric materials is investigated. The system is subjected to arbitrary singularity loads (point charge and anti-plane concentrated force) and remote anti-plane mechanical and in-plane electrical loads. Using the complex variable method, the explicit series form solutions for the complex potentials in the matrix and the inclusion regions are derived. The electroelastic field intensity factors, the corresponding energy release rates and the generalized strain energy density at the cracks tips are then provided. The influence of the aspect ratio of the ellipse, the crack geometry and the electromechanical coupling coefficient on the energy release rate and the strain energy density is discussed and shown in graphs. The results indicate that the energy release rate increases with increment of the aspect ratio of the ellipse and the influence of electromechanical coupling coefficient on the energy release rate is significant. The strain energy density decreases with increment of the aspect radio of the ellipse and it is always positive for the cases discussed. The energy release rate, however, can be negative when both mechanical and fields are applied.     

Analysis of a partially debonded elliptic inhomogeneity in piezoelectric materials

A generalized solution was obtained for the partially debonded elliptic inhomogeneity problem in piezoelectric materials under antiplane shear and inplane electric loading using the complex variable method. It was assumed that the interfacial debonding induced an electrically impermeable crack at the interface. The principle of conformal transformation and analytical continuation were employed to reduce the formulation into two Riemann-Hilbert problems. This enabled the determination of the complex potentials in the inhomogeneity and the matrix by means of series of expressions. The resulting solution was then used to obtain the electroeiastic fields and the energy release rate involving the debonding at the inhomogeneity-matrix interface. The validity and versatility of the current general solution have been demonstrated through some specific examples such as the problems of perfectly bonded elliptic inhomogeneity , totally debonded elliptic inhomogeneity, partially debonded rigid and conducting elliptic inhomogeneity, and partially debonded circular inhomogeneity.     

Electroelastic interaction between a piezoelectric screw dislocation and a confocal elliptic blunt crack with elliptical inhomogeneity

The electroelastic interaction between a piezoelectric screw dislocation and an elliptical inhomogeneity containing a confocal blunt crack under infinite longitudinal shear and in-plane electric field is investigated. Using the sectionally holomorphic function theory, Cauchy singular integral, singularity analysis of complex functions and theory of Rieman boundary problem, the explicit series solution of stress field is obtained when the screw dislocation is located in inhomogeneity. The intervention law of the interaction between blunt crack and screw dislocation in inhomogeneity is discussed. The analytical expressions of generalized stress and strain field of inhomogeneity are calculated, while the image force, field intensity factors of blunt crack are also presented. Moreover, a new matrix expression of the energy release rate and generalized strain energy density (SED) are deduced. With the size variation of blunt crack, the results can be reduced to the case of the interaction between a piezoelectric screw dislocation and a line crack in inhomogeneity. Numerical analysis are then conducted to reveal the effects of the dislocation location, the size of inhomogeneity and blunt crack and the applied load on the image force, energy release rate and strain energy density. The influence of dislocation on energy release rate and strain energy density is also revealed.     

A screw dislocation near a non-elliptical piezoelectric inhomogeneity with internal uniform electroelastic field

Conformal mapping and analytic continuation are employed to prove the existence of an internal uniform electroelastic field inside a non-elliptical piezoelectric inhomogeneity interacting with a screw dislocation. We focus specifically on the case when the piezoelectric matrix surrounding the inhomogeneity is subjected to uniform remote anti-plane mechanical and in-plane electrical loading and a constraint is imposed between the remote loading and the screw dislocation. The constraint can be expressed in a relatively simple decoupled form by utilizing orthogonality relationships between two corresponding eigenvectors. The internal uniform electroelastic field is found to be independent of the presence of the screw dislocation; moreover, it can be expressed in decoupled form.     

Electroelastic interaction between a piezoelectric screw dislocation and a circular inhomogeneity with interfacial cracks

A piezoelectric screw dislocation in the matrix interacting with a circular inhomogeneity with interfacial cracks under antiplane shear and in-plane electric loading at infinity was dealt with. Using complex variable method, a general solution to the problem was presented. For a typical case, the closed form expressions of complex potentials in the inhomogeneity and the matrix regions and derived explicitly when the interface containsthe electroelastic field intensity factors weresingle crack. The image force acting on the piezoelectric screw dislocation was calculated by using the perturbation technique and the generalized Peach-Koehler formula. As a result, numerical analysis and discussion show that the perturbation influence of the interfacial crack on the interaction effects of the dislocation and the inhomogeneity is significant which indicates the presence of the interfacial crack will change the interaction mechanism when the length of the crack goes up to a critical value. It is also shown that soft inhomogeneity can repel the dislocation due to their intrinsic electromechanical coupling behavior.     

Analysis of a screw dislocation inside an elliptical inhomogeneity in piezoelectric solids

This paper formulates and examines the electro-elastic coupling effects resulting from the presence of a screw dislocation inside an elliptical piezoelectric inhomogeneity embedded in an infinite piezoelectric matrix. The general solution to this problem is obtained by conformal mapping and Laurent series expansion of the corresponding complex potentials. The appropriate expressions of the field potentials and the field components are given explicitly in both the inhomogeneity and the surrounding matrix using a perturbation technique. The internal energy and the force on the dislocation are computed and several specific examples are provided to illustrate the validity and versatility of the developed formulations.     

压电复合材料中的Eshelby夹杂问题

通过采用解析延拓和共形映射技术，获得了压电复合材料中有关Eshelby夹杂几个典型问题的精确弹性解答，即横观各向同性压电介质中任意形状的Eshelby夹杂与圆柱异相夹杂间相互作用；一般各向异性压电介质中任意形状的Eshelby夹杂与双压电材料所形成界面的相互作用．成功求解这些问题的关健在于构造一个辅助函数．与Ru所采用的方法不同，所引入的辅助函数在无穷远点不存在极点，从而使得所展开的分析更加自然合理．分析结果清楚地揭示出Eshelby夹杂的存在对压电复合材料机电耦合响应将产生不容被忽视的影响．很典型的一个例于是当一个Eshelby椭圆夹杂与圆柱异相夹杂相互作用时，每个夹杂体内部的应力场和电场都将是不均匀的；另一个例于是位于界面附近的Eshelby夹杂有可能是界面发生损伤的一个重要原因．     

Electro-elastic interaction between a piezoelectric screw dislocation and circular interfacial rigid lines

The electro-elastic interaction between a piezoelectric screw dislocation located either outside or inside inhomogeneity and circular interfacial rigid lines under anti-plane mechanical and in-plane electrical loads in linear piezoelectric materials is dealt with in the framework of linear elastic theory. Using Riemann–Schwarz’s symmetry principle integrated with the analysis of singularity of complex functions, the general solution of this problem is presented in this paper. For a special example, the closed form solutions for electro-elastic fields in matrix and inhomogeneity regions are derived explicitly when interface containing single rigid line. Applying perturbation technique, perturbation stress and electric displacement fields are obtained. The image force acting on piezoelectric screw dislocation is calculated by using the generalized Peach–Koehler formula. As a result, numerical analysis and discussion show that soft inhomogeneity can repel screw dislocation in piezoelectric material due to their intrinsic electro-mechanical coupling behavior and the influence of interfacial rigid line upon the image force is profound. When the radian of circular rigid line reaches extensive magnitude, the presence of interfacial rigid line can change the interaction mechanism.     

On the anti-plane shear of an elliptic nano inhomogeneity

The elastic field of an elliptic nano inhomogeneity embedded in an infinite matrix under anti-plane shear is studied with the complex variable method. The interface stress effects of the nano inhomogeneity are accounted for with the Gurtin–Murdoch model. The conformal mapping method is then applied to solve the formulated boundary value problem. The obtained numerical results are compared with the existing closed form solutions for a circular nano inhomogeneity and a traditional elliptic inhomogeneity under anti-plane. It shows that the proposed semi-analytic method is effective and accurate. The stress fields inside the inhomogeneity and matrix are then systematically studied for different interfacial and geometrical parameters. It is found that the stress field inside the elliptic nano inhomogeneity is no longer uniform due to the interface effects. The shear stress distributions inside the inhomogeneity and matrix are size dependent when the size of the inhomogeneity is on the order of nanometers. The numerical results also show that the interface effects are highly influenced by the local curvature of the interface. The elastic field around an elliptic nano hole is also investigated in this paper. It is found that the traction free boundary condition breaks down at the elliptic nano hole surface. As the aspect ratio of the elliptic hole increases, it can be seen as a Mode-III blunt crack. Even for long blunt cracks, the surface effects can still be significant around the blunt crack tip. Finally, the equivalence between the uniform eigenstrain inside the inhomogeneity and the remote loading is discussed.     

压电材料椭圆夹杂界面开裂问题的电弹性耦合解

本文研究了在反平面剪切和面内电场的共同作用下，压电材料椭圆夹杂的界面开裂问题，假定夹杂是刚性的导体，采用复变函数保角变换和级数展开方法，可确定压电材料基体的复势表达式，进而求得夹杂界面开裂的电弹性耦合的能量释放率。     

PROPAGATION OF LOVE WAVES IN PRESTRESSED PIEZOELECTRIC LAYERED STRUCTURES LOADED WITH VISCOUS LIQUID

We investigate analytically the effect of initial stress in piezoelectric layered structures loaded with viscous liquid on the dispersive and attenuated characteristics of Love waves, which involves a thin piezoelectric layer bonded perfectly to an unbounded elastic substrate. The effects of initial stress in the piezoelectric layer and the viscous coefficient of the liquid on the phase velocity of Love waves are analyzed. Numerical results are presented and discussed. The analytical method and the results can be useful for the design of chemical and biosensing liquid sensors.     

Debonded arc-shaped interface conducting rigid line inclusions in piezoelectric composites

We consider an arc-shaped conducting rigid line inclusion located at the interface between a circular piezoelectric inhomogeneity and an unbounded piezoelectric matrix subjected to remote uniform anti-plane shear stresses and in-plane electric fields. Moreover, one side of the rigid line inclusion has become fully debonded from the matrix or the inhomogeneity leading to the formation of an insulating crack. After the introduction of two sectionally holomorphic vector functions, the problem is reduced to a vector Riemann–Hilbert problem, which can be decoupled sequentially by repeated application of the orthogonality relations between the eigenvectors for two corresponding generalized eigenvalue problems.     

Anti-plane time-harmonic Green's functions for a circular inhomogeneity in piezoelectric medium with a spring- or membrane-type interface

The present work focuses on the two-dimensional anti-plane time-harmonic dynamic Green's functions for a circular inhomogeneity immersed in an infinite matrix with an imperfect interface, where both the inhomogeneity and matrix are assumed to be piezoelectric and transversely isotropic. Two types of imperfect interface, the spring-type interface with electromechanical coupling and the membrane-type interface, are considered. The former type is often used to model the electromechanical damage along the interface while the latter is largely employed to simulate surface/interface effect of nano-sized inhomogeneity. By using the Bessel function expansions, explicit solutions for the electromechanical fields induced by a time-harmonic anti-plane line force and line charge located in an unbounded matrix as well as the circular inhomogeneity are respectively derived. The present solutions can recover the anti-plane Green's functions for some special cases, such as the dynamic or quasi-static Green's functions of piezoelectricity with perfect interface as well as the dynamic or quasi-static Green's functions of pure elasticity with imperfect interface. For detailed discussions, selected analytical results are presented. Dependence of the electromechanical fields on circular frequency as well as interface properties is examined. The size effect related to interfacial imperfection is also discussed.     

Elastic Energies in Circular Inhomogeneities: Imperfect Versus Perfect Interfaces

The change in the total potential energy in a stressed elastic plane system, consisting of an unbounded matrix containing a cylindrical inhomogeneity of circular cross-section, is studied, when an imperfect bonding is formed across the interface. The imperfect bonding is simulated by linearly elastic springs distributed over the interface. Two loading cases are examined: an equilibrium system of fixed uniform tractions acting in the remote boundary of the matrix, and a phase transformation in the inhomogeneity prescribed by stress free uniform eigenstrains distributed in the inhomogeneity region. For both loadings, the fully elastic fields in explicit forms are derived involving the spring compliances and three new two-phase parameters depending on the elastic properties of the two materials. The elastic energies stored in the whole system and in its constituents are determined in simple and compact forms. It is shown that, in both loading cases, the total potential energy of the system is reduced. It is found that, in nanoscale, the ratio of the elastic energy stored in interface to the elastic energy stored in inhomogeneity increases rapidly for small values of the circular radius and tends to zero for large values. Also, this ratio increases as the matrix becomes softer compared to the inhomogeneity.