Boundary-layer effects in wedges of piezoelectric laminates

An approach to investigate boundary-layer effects in wedges of piezoelectriclaminated structures is presented with the aim of ascertaining theelectromechanical response characteristics. The wedge layer behavior isdescribed in terms of generalized stress functions, which lead to a modelconsisting of a set of three coupled partial differential equations. Thestrength of the solution singularity is determined by solving the eigenvalueproblem associated with the resolving system. The solution of the model isobtained by an eigenfunction expansion method coupled with a boundarycollocation technique. Correspondingly, the singularity amplitude isassessed by introducing and calculating the generalized stress intensityfactors. The application of the approach to the free edge analysis offour-layer PZT-4 composite piezoelectric laminates is presented. The resultsobtained are discussed in terms of the method efficiency and thecharacteristic features of the electromechanical response.