CALCULATION OF ADAPTIVE MULTILAYERED THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES SUBJECTED TO TEMPERATURE LOADING

Problem statement. A number of difficult problems centre around the application of 3D isoparametric finite elements to compensate the strains and to control the shape of thin-walled structures. One of these problems is decreasing efficiency of the finite element code.Results. This paper presents a new 3D geometrically exact four-node solid-shell element based on the 7-parameter theory of thermoelectroelastic shells, which gives the possibility to use 3D constitutive equations of thermopiezoelectricity. As unknown functions, six tangential and transverse displacements of outer surfaces and the transverse displacement of the middle surface are chosen.Conclusions. Analytical integration used for deriving a stiffness matrix, as well as the fact that displacement vectors of outer and middle surfaces are represented in a local basis related to the reference shell surface permit one to increase the performance of a finite element code and to utilize it efficiently into controllers of adaptive thin-walled structures with segmented piezoceramic patches. Numerical examples are presented to substantiate the possibility of controlling the temperature strains in thin-walled composite structures by employing the converse piezoelectric effect.