The periodic crack problem in bonded piezoelectric materials

ABSTRACTThe problem of a periodic array of parallel cracks in a homogeneous piezoelectric strip bonded to a functionally graded piezoelectric material is investigated for inhomogeneous continuum. It is assumed that the material inhomogeneity is represented as the spatial variation of the shear modulus in the form of an exponential function along the direction of cracks. The mixed boundary value problem is reduced to a singular integral equation by applying the Fourier transform, and the singular integral equation is solved numerically by using the Gauss-Chebyshev integration technique. Numerical results are obtained to illustrate the variations of the stress intensity factors as a function of the crack periodicity for different values of the material inhomogeneity.