Dynamic response for non-homogeneous piezoelectric medium with multiple cracks

A general procedure to analyze the dynamic response of non-homogeneous piezoelectric medium containing some non-collinear cracks is developed. It is assumed that all the material properties only depend on the coordinates y (along the thickness direction). The assumption is made that the non-homogeneous medium is composed of numerous laminae with their surfaces perpendicular to the thick direction. The solution method is based upon the Fourier and Laplace transforms to reduce the boundary value problem to a system of generalized singularity equations in the Laplace transform domain. The singular integral equations for the problem are derived and numerically solved by weight residual value method. The time-dependent full field solutions are obtained in the time domain. As numerical illustration, the stress and electric displacement intensity factors for a three-layer plate specimen with two cracks are presented. It is found that the stress and electric fields are coupled in the crack plane ahead of the crack tip for non-homogenous piezoelectric materials.