Displacement potentials for functionally graded piezoelectric solids

Two new displacement potential functions are introduced for the general solution of a three-dimensional piezoelasticity problem for functionally graded transversely isotropic piezoelectric solids. The material properties vary continuously along the axis of symmetry of the medium. The four coupled equilibrium equations in terms of displacements and electric potential are reduced to two decoupled sixth- and second-order linear partial differential equations for the potential functions. The obtained results are verified with two limiting cases: (i) a functionally graded transversely isotropic medium, and (ii) a homogeneous transversely isotropic piezoelectric solid. The simplified relations corresponding to the special case of similar variation of material properties are also given. Furthermore, the special cases of axisymmetric problems, exponentially graded piezoelectric media and transversely isotropic piezoelectric media with power law variation are discussed in detail.