Numerical homogenization techniques applied to piezoelectric composites.
With the recent availability of piezoelectric fibers, the design and the analysis of piezoelectric composites needs new modeling tools. Therefore, a numerical homogenization technique has been developed, based on the ATILA finite element code, that combines two techniques: one relying upon the representative volume element (RVE) the other relying upon the wave propagation (WP). The combination of the two methods allows the whole tensor of the homogenized properties of the piezoelectric composite to be found. Considering a fiber embedded in epoxy, the numerical results are compared to the results obtained using previous analytical models, thus validating the models. Even if the method is presented in a particular case, its extension to any piezoelectric composite is straightforward.