Influence of loose bonding, initial stress and reinforcement on Love-type wave propagating in a functionally graded piezoelectric composite structure.

This present study investigates Love-type wave propagation in composite structure consists of a loosely bonded functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) stratum lying over a functionally graded initially-stressed fibre-reinforced material (FGIFM) substrate. The closed-form expressions of the dispersion relation have been obtained analytically for both the cases of electrically open and electrically short conditions. Some special cases of the problem have also been studied and the obtained results are found in well-agreement with the classical Love wave equation. The emphatic influence of wave number, bonding parameter associated with bonding of stratum with substrate of the composite structure, piezoelectric coefficient as well as dielectric constant of the piezoelectric stratum, horizontal initial stresses, and functional gradedness of the composite structure on the phase velocity of Love-type wave has been reported and illustrated through numerical computation along with graphical demonstration in both the cases of electrically open and electrically short condition for the reinforced and reinforced-free composite structure. Comparative study has been carried out to analyze the distinct cases associated with functional gradedness of the composite structure and also various cases which reveals the influence of piezoelectricity, reinforcement and horizontal initial stress acting in the composite structure, and bonding of the stratum and substrate of the composite structure in context of the present problem which serves as one of the major highlights of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]