Analysis of nonlinear electroelastic continua with electric conduction

Abstract

This thesis presents the nonlinear theory for large deformation electroelastic continua with electric conduction. This theory is suitable for modeling actuator and sensor devices composed of deformable, electromechanically coupled, highly insulating materials. Consistency is proven between the large deformation theory and the classical Poynting vector based piezoelectric small deformation theory, extended for electric conduction. A result is that electric body forces, realized mathematically as electric surface tractions, are retained in the small deformation approximation. A finite element formulation is presented suitable for performance analysis of deformable electromechanical actuator and sensor devices composed of highly insulating materials with nonlinear response functions, under the small deformation approximation. Results demonstrate the significant cumulative effects of a weak electric current flow for electric voltage DC offset loading of a highly electrically insulating composite device.