Modelling and optimization of laminated adaptive shells of revolution

In this paper two shell finite element models are presented for the structural analysis of composite laminated piezoelectric shells. One is an axisymmetric conical frustum with two nodal rings and the other is a conic shell panel with eight nodes. Both models are based in a mixed laminated theory that combines a higher order shear deformation theory for the mechanical displacement field with a layerwise representation with linear functions for the electric potential through each piezoelectric layer. In order to obtain the optimal design sensitivities analysis and optimization techniques based in the nonlinear mathematical programming are used. The design objectives can be the minimization of the deformed structure or the maximization of the natural fundamental frequency and the design variables are the electric potential difference applied to the actuators or the ply thicknesses among others.