Multiple surface cracks in a piezoelectric layer bonded to an elastic substrate under transient electromechanical loads

Piezoelectric materials are usually bonded to elastic substrates to form so-called smart material structures that are capable of sensing and actuating in a controlled manner in response to a stimulus. Such smart structures are often operated at transient electromechanical environments. In this paper, the problem of a periodic array of surface cracks in a piezoelectric layer bonded to an elastic substrate subjected to transient electromechanical loads is studied. A system of singular integral equations is formulated in terms of the crack surface displacement and electric potential. Numerical results include the time-dependent stress and electric displacement intensity factors. Effects of crack spacing and electromechanical coupling on the crack tip field intensity factors are investigated in details. Numerical examples are given for a single piezoelectric layer and a piezoelectric layer bonded to an elastic substrate, subjected to independent mechanical and electrical impact loads. Some useful conclusions are given.