Finite Element Analysis of Functionally Graded Graphene-Induced Piezoelectric Composites for Energy Harvesting Systems

This work employs finite element analysis to determine the voltage and power of a functionally graded graphene-reinforced piezoelectric composite (FG-GRPC). The graphene-reinforced piezoelectric composite (GPRC) structure has an even distribution of graphene platelets (GPLs) with a volume percentage of graphene of less than one percent. This avoids material agglomeration and entitles the Halpin–Tsai (HT) model for calculating the effective modulus of elasticity. The GRPC structure's effective Poisson’s ratio, piezoelectric characteristics, and mass density are estimated using the rule of mixture (ROM). The FG-GRPC structural tiles are generated using a simple power law composition distributed over thickness. Hamilton's principle (HP) and first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) are used to develop the fundamental finite element (FE) equations for the FG-GRPC plates. According to our findings, the material grading coefficient with a limited number of GPLs greatly improves the circuit parameters of functionally graded GRPC structures. The results indicate that the synergistic application of compositional grading and GPLs in materials has huge prospects for the future creation of intelligent buildings.