Linear Piezoelectricity

Abstract

This chapter presents the elements of linear piezoelectricity including mechanical and electrostatic balance laws and coupled mechanical electrical constitutive relations. The thermodynamically consistent constitutive relations are determined from a coupled electromechanical energy balance argument and expressions are given alternately considering the electric field and the electric displacement as independent fields. Appropriate electrical boundary conditions are also discussed. The theory is also specialized to poled piezoceramics. A chapter appendix provides a brief discussion of Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetics and energy transport in the quasi-static limit. A second chapter appendix discusses the properties of third order tensors.