An eigenfunction expansion-variational method for the anti-plane electroelastic behavior of three-phase fiber composites

The anti-plane electroelastic behavior of three-phase piezoelectric composites (fiber/interphase/matrix) with doubly periodic microstructures is dealt with. A new variational functional for a unit cell is constructed by incorporating the periodic boundary conditions into the energy functional. Then, by combining with the eigenfunction expansions of the complex potentials satisfying the fiber–interphase–matrix interfacial conditions, an eigenfunction expansion-variational method based on a unit cell is developed. The numerical results of the effective electroelastic moduli show a rapid convergence of the present method. A unified first-order approximation formula is also provided, where an equivalent parameter matrix reflecting the overall influence of the electroelastic properties of the fiber and interphase on the effective properties, is found. The equivalent parameter matrix can greatly simplify the complicated relation of the effective electroelastic properties to the internal structure of a three-phase fiber composite. Though the equivalent parameter matrix is extracted in the first-order approximation formula, its validity is also verified in the high-order numerical results.

► A variational functional for the anti-plane electroelastic behavior is constructed.
► An eigenfunction expansion-variational method based on a unit cell is developed.
► A unified approximation formula of effective electroelastic moduli is provided.
► An equivalent parameter matrix is extracted to simplify the macro–micro relations.