DOI 10.

1007/s10778-021-01044-y
International Applied Mechanics, Vol. 56, No. 6, November, 2020

FORCED AXISYMMETRIC VIBRATIONS OF AN ELECTRICALLY EXCITED

HOLLOW SPHERE MADE OF A CONTINUOUSLY INHOMOGENEOUS
PIEZOCERAMIC MATERIAL*

A. Ya. Grigorenko1 and I. A. Loza2

The forced axisymmetric vibrations of a hollow sphere made of a functionally graded radially polarized
piezocelectric material are studied using the spatial theory of electroelasticity. The properties of the
material vary continuously as a power function along the radial coordinate. The vibrations are excited
by applying a varying electrostatic potential to the sphere surface. Solid and split electrodes are
considered. After separation of variables and expression of the components of displacement and
electric-flux density, electrostatic potential, and the stress tensor in terms of spherical functions, the
original three-dimensional problem is reduced to a boundary-value problem for ordinary differential
equations. The problem is solved by the effective method of discrete orthogonalization. The numerical
solution is analyzed. Particularly, the distributions of the mechanical and electric parameters in the first
modes of forced electroelastic vibrations of the sphere made of homogeneous and inhomogeneous
piezoceramic materials are compared and analyzed. The effect of the loading caused by applying a
variable electrostatic potential to the sphere surface on the distribution of forced vibration
characteristics is studied.

Keywords: 3D electroelasticity, inhomogeneous piezoelectric sphere, FGPM, forced axisymmetric

vibrations, different electric excitation

Introduction. Active spherical piezoelectric transformers are widely used in various modern acoustoelectric facilities,
for example, in hydroacoustic devices [2, 3, 11]. Therefore, studying the vibrations of spherical piezoceramic bodies is an
electroelasticity problem of fundamental and applied importance.
The free radial vibrations of a homogeneous isotropic sphere were for the first time studied in [31]. The general problem
statement for the vibrations of a sphere was addressed in [23], where the same problem was solved in spherical coordinates and a
classification of vibration modes was proposed. The free and forced vibrations of thick-walled spherical shells as well as surface
Rayleigh waves on a spherical surface were for the first time studied in [10, 24, 26] using the spherical-vector method. The
nonaxisymmetric vibrations of solid and hollow spheres made of a homogeneous isotropic material are considered in [29] and
[30], respectively. It should be noted that anisotropy considerably complicates investigation. For example, the free vibrations of
a transversally isotropic sphere were studied in [32]. In addition, one more factor that complicates the solution of problems of the

1
S. P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 3 Nesterov St., Kyiv, Ukraine
03057; e-mail: ayagrigorenko1991@gmail.com. 2National Transport University, 1 Omel’yanovicha-Pavlenko St., Kyiv,
Ukraine 01010; e-mail: dukeigor@i.ua. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 56, No. 6, pp. 28–45,
November–December 2020. Original article submitted March 22, 2019.

* This study was sponsored by the budget program “Support for Priority Areas of Scientific Research” (KPKVK 6541230).

674 1063-7095/20/5606-0674 ©2020 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

vibrations of spherical bodies is the inhomogeneity of the material. If the material is layered, it is necessary to satisfy not only the
boundary conditions but also interface conditions. This leads to an increase in the number of governing equations [9, 15–17]. The
presence of physical fields coupled with mechanical-displacement and stress fields is another factor complicating the
investigation [7, 8, 12, 13, 18]. The free axisymmetric vibrations of a homogeneous piezoceramic sphere were studied in [5, 27,
28] using various analytical approaches.
Currently, so-called functionally graded piezoelectric materials have been widely used owing to the combination of the
advantages of bimorphs and materials without interfaces between different coefficients of thermal expansion. Attempts to
describe the continuously varying material properties result in the dependence of the material moduli on one coordinate [1, 4,
6–8, 12, 18, 19, 22, etc.]. This is a serious obstacle to employ many numerical methods. This issue can be resolved with the
numerical-analytical approach based on the discrete-orthogonalization method, which was effectively applied to solve a wide
class of problems of elasticity, shell theory, and electroelasticity [14–17, 20–22, 33].
The free vibrations of a homogeneous and continuously inhomogeneous hollow sphere were studied in [22, 33] using
the above approach. The stress–strain state of a hollow sphere made of a functionally graded piezoelectric material was analyzed
in [7] using the three-dimensional theory of electroelasticity. In what follows, we will solve the problem of the forced vibrations
of a hollow piezoceramic sphere made of a radially polarized continuously inhomogeneous material. We will use the
three-dimensional theory of electroelasticity.
1. Problem Statement and Basic Equations.
1.1. Equations of Motion. A body bounded by a piecewise-smooth surface can be represented by a closed continuous
field of the stress tensor T, which is a differentiable function at point of the field and piecewise-continuous on the bounding
surface. Let the displacement vector u of any point of the body be a function of time and three spatial coordinates of this point.
Let also be the material density; 2 u / t 2 and the divergence T be continuous functions inside the body. Let body forces be
absent.
Let us denote by ds a surface element of the bounding surface s directed outward from the body volume V bounded by
this surface. Then the vector of external elementary force applied to this element takes the form of a scalar product ds T.
Denoting the volume element by dV and using the D’Alambert principle, we arrive at the equation
2u
ds T dV 0. (1)
S V t2

Applying the Ostrogradskii formula to the first integral, we obtain

2u
T dV 0. (2)
V t2

Since this equality must be satisfied in any part of the body, we have
2u
T . (3)
t2

In coordinate representation, Eq. (3) splits into three equations:

1 ( gT ij ) j
2u j
T kj ki
( j 1, 2, 3), (4)
g xi t2

where g e1 e 2 e 3 , e1 , e 2 , e 3 are the noncomplanar and nonorthogonal scale vectors whose modules are different from a unity,
j
ki
are the Christoffel symbols. Here all the components of the tensor and vector quantities divided by the core metric of the
coordinate system. Represented in a unit measuring system, they become
j
1 g T ki ki
2
uj
T ij ( j 1, 2, 3), (5)
g i xi g ii g jj k ,i g kk g ii g jj t2

675
where g ij e i e j are the components of the metric tensor, the sum signs indicate the summation indices. In an orthogonal
spherical coordinate system ( r, , ), Eqs. (5) become

Trr 2Trr T T Tr cot 1 Tr 1 Tr

2
ur 0,
r r r r sin

Tr 3Tr (T T )cot 1 T 1 Tr
2u 0,
r r r r sin

Tr 3Tr 2T cot 1 T 1 T
2 (6)
u 0.
r r r r sin

1.2. Maxwell Equations for a Piezoelectric Material. In macroscopic electrodynamics, all processes in a continuum are
described by the following Maxwell equations:

e B
E , E ,
0 t

j E
B 0, c2 B , (7)
0 t

where E and B are the electric and magnetic field strengths, respectively; j is the conduction current vector, e , 0 , and c are
constant electric charge density, dielectric permittivity, and speed of light in vacuum. These equations were for the first time
formulated by Maxwell and are a generalization of the experimental data accumulated then. The first equation describes Gauss’
law and expresses the flux of electric field-strength vector E through a closed surface. It is proportional to the electric charge e
inside it. Since Gauss’s law does not contain time derivatives, it is valid both in dynamic and static fields. The second equation
represents Faradey’s law, which is the integral of the electric field-strength vector E along a loop and is proportional to the rate of
change in the flux of magnetic field-strength vector B through this contour. The third equation indicates that the piezoelectric
matter is free of magnetic charges (unlike electric ones). In the fourth equations, Maxwell complemented Ampere’s law
c2 B j / 0 (for constant magnetic field) with the so-called displacement current E/ t, which was later validated
experimentally. Physically, this equation is the integral of the magnetic-field strength vector B along a closed contour
proportional to the electric current in this contour and to the rate of change in the flux of the electric field-strength vector E
through this contour. The second and fourth equations indicate that the electric and magnetic fields are coupled in the dynamic
case. However, the rate of change in the fields must be very high (close to the speed of light). In the case of acoustic motions, the
rates are considerably lower. Because of this the electric and magnetic fields exist separately.
Let us consider an electric field because it is it that is coupled with the mechanical field in a piezoelectric material.
Moreover, free electric charges are absent in a piezoelectric material; therefore,

E 0, E 0. (8)

In the case of weak electric fields, the electric-flux density D is proportional to the electric field-strength E: D E
where is the dielectric permittivity of the piezoelectric medium. The second equation in (8) indicates that the electric field is
potential. As a result, we have

D 0, E , (9)

where is the electrostatic potential.

Represented in a coordinate form, these equations become

Di
D g ij 0, Ei ei . (10)
j
x xi

Equations (10) in a spherical coordinate system ( r, , ) take the form

676
 Dr 2 1 D cot 1 D
D D 0,
r r r r r r sin

1 1
Er , E , E . (11)
r r r sin

1.3. Cauchy’s Relations. If strains are small, then

2S u u , (12)

where S is the tensor of elastic strains. This expression has the following coordinate form:

uj ui
2S ij uk k un n. (13)
i ij ji
x xj

In spherical coordinates ( r, , ), Eqs. (12) have the form

ur 1 1 u 1 u
S rr , S ur u cot , S ur ,
r r sin r

u 1 ur u 1 1 ur
2S r u , 2S r u ,
r r r r sin

1 1 u u
2S u cot , (14)
r sin

where S ij are the components of the strain tensor.

The material equations for a radially polarized piezoceramic medium in the spherical coordinate system ( r, , ) take the
following form [3, 7]:

T c11 ( r )S c12 ( r )S c13 ( r )S rr e 31 ( r )E r ,

T c12 ( r )S c11 ( r )S c13 ( r )S rr e 31 ( r )E r ,

Trr c13 ( r )S c13 ( r )S c 33 ( r )S rr e 33 ( r )E r ,

Tr 2c 44 ( r )S r e15 ( r )E , Tr 2c 44 ( r )S r e15 ( r )E ,

T 2c 66 ( r )S , D 2e15 ( r )S r 11 ( r )E ,

D 2e15 ( r )S r 11 ( r )E , Dr e 31 ( r )S e 31 ( r )S e 33 ( r )S rr 33 ( r )E r , (15)

where c ij are the elastic moduli at constant electric strength; e ij are the piezomoduli; ij are the dielectric moduli at constant
strain. Unlike the homogeneous material, the above components of the material characteristics are functions of the radial
coordinate. Consider a material with two steel and piezoceramic components whose characteristics vary over the thickness as

P ( r ) ( Pm Pp )V ( r ) Pp , (16)

where V ( z ) is the volume fraction of the piezoceramics,

n
r R0 1
V (r ) . (17)
2h 2

2. Problem-Solving Method. A system of partial differential equations describing the problem of the nonaxisymmetric
vibrations of a sphere can be reduced to two independent subsystems that describe vibrations of the first and second classes. The

677
first-class vibrations are purely elastic; the second-class vibrations are coupled electroelastic. Moreover, the system of equations
describing the second-class vibrations coincides with the system of equations describing the axisymmetric electroelastic
vibrations of a piezoceramic sphere. Let u r / u / / 0, u 0 in Eqs. (6), (11), (14), (15); then

Trr 2Trr T T Tr cot 1 Tr 2

ur 0,
r r r

Tr 1 T 3Tr (T T )cot
2 0,
u
r r r

Dr 1 Dr 2Dr D cot
0, Er ,
r r r r

1 ur 1 u
E , S rr , S ur ,
r r r

1 u 1 ur
S (u u cot ), 2S r u ,
r r r r

T c11 S c12 S c13 S rr e 31 E r , T c12 S c11 S c13 S rr e 31 E r ,

Trr c13 S c13 S c 33 S rr e 33 E r , Tr 2c 44 S r e15 E ,

D 2e15 S r 11 E , Dr e 31 S e 31 S e 33 S rr 33 E r . (18)

To obtain a single-valued solution, system (18) should be supplemented with boundary conditions on lateral surfaces of
the sphere (r const):

Trr |r R f1 ( ), Tr |r R f 2 ( ), |r R f 3 ( ),

Trr |r R f 4 ( ), Tr |r R f 5 ( ), |r R f 6 ( ). (19)

The vector of unknown functions is

R {Trr , Tr , , u r , u , Dr }T . (20)

Then, solving system (18) for this vector and performing some transformations, we obtain

2 1 1 2 1
1 0 (2 ) 2
r r r2 r2 r
2 2c 66
3 1 2 2
Trr 0 Trr
r r r 2 r2 r
Tr e 33 c 33 Tr
0 0 2
r r ,
r ur 33 e 33 ur
0 0 2
u r r u
1 e15 1
Dr 0 0 Dr
c 44 rc 44 r r
e15 3 2
0 0 0
rc 44 2 r
r c 44

where

678
 * 2 * *
* *cot , 2 2 ,
* cot *csc
2

2 ,
c 33 33 e 33 ( c13 e 33 c 33 e 31 ) / , ( c13 33 e 33 e13 ) / ,

2 .
1 2( c13 e 31 ) ( c11 c12 ), 2 1 / 2 c 66 , 3 c 55 11 e15

Since the shell is closed in the -direction, the solution can be represented as a series of Legendre polynomials:

dPk (cos )
Trr ( r, ) Trrk ( r )Pk (cos ), Tr ( r, ) Trk ( r ) ,
k 0 k 0 d

k u rk ( r )Pk (cos ),
( r, ) R ( r )Pk (cos ), u r ( r, ) R
0 k 0 k 0

dPk (cos )
u ( r, ) R u k (r ) , Dr ( r, ) 0 Drk ( r )Pk (cos ), (21)
k 0 d k 0

where 1010 N/m2, R (R R ) / 2 is the mean value of the sphere radius. In what follows, the symbol k appearing in the
governing functions will be omitted. With (21), the boundary-value problem (18) for partial differential equations can be
reduced to a boundary-value problem for ordinary differential equations:

dR
AR (22)
dr

with boundary conditions

B1 R ( R ) C1 , B 2 R( R ) C2 , (23)

where the matrix A has the form

2 k k 1 1 2 1k k 1
1 0 (2 ) 2
r r r2 r2 r
3 1 2c 66 2k k 1 2
0
r r r2 r2 r
e 33 k k 1 c 33
0 0 2
r r
33 k k 1 e 33
0 0 2
r r
1 e15 1 1
0 0
c 44 rc 44 r r
e15 k k 1 3k k 1 2
0 0 0
rc 44 2 r
r c 44

the matrices B1 , B 2 and C1 , C2 are as follows:

1 0 0 0 0 0
B1 B2 0 1 0 0 0 0,
0 0 1 0 0 0

679
 f1 ( ) 0 0 0 0 0
C1 0 f2 ( ) 0 0 0 0,
0 0 f3 ( ) 0 0 0

f4 ( ) 0 0 0 0 0
C2 0 f5 ( ) 0 0 0 0.
0 0 f6 ( ) 0 0 0

Here the following dimensionless quantities are used: l* *

/ c * , c~ij c ij / c * , e~ij e ij / 0c
*,~
ij ij / 0,

c* , *
, l * are quantities having dimensions of elastic moduli, density, and length, respectively; 0 is the dielectric permittivity
of vacuum. To integrate the boundary-value problem (22), (23), we use the stable method of discrete-orthogonalization.
3. Numerical Solving of the Problem.
3.1. Solid Electrodes. Let us consider a hollow sphere made of a functionally graded piezoelectric material consisting of
PZT 4 piezoceramics and steel with E 21 1010 N/m2, 0.28. The normalizing quantities are c * 1010 N/m2, * 1 T/m3,
l* 1 m. The inner R and outer R radii of the sphere are equal to 3 and 5 cm, respectively.
Let us first consider a homogeneous material. The functions f i ( ) are selected as follows:

f1 ( ) f 4 ( ) 0, f2 ( ) f 5 ( ) 0,

f3 ( ) V0 , f6 ( ) V0 . (24)

In this case, electroelastic radial vibrations are excited:

Trr 2Trr T Tr cot 2u

r 0,
r r

Trr |r R ,R 0. (25)

The electroelasticity equations are

Dr Dr D0
2 0 ( r 2 Dr ) 0 r 2 Dr D0 const Dr ,
r r r r2

|r R ,R V0 . (26)

The solution of system (25) has long been known and can be expressed in the terms of Bessel functions. During radial
vibrations, the components of the strain tensor are related to the displacement (u r u) by

u u
S rr , S S . (27)
r r

Also, considering solution (28) for Dr , and substituting the expressions for the components of the stress tensor into (26),
we arrive at the equation of harmonic vibrations
2
d 2u 2 du c11 c12 c13 u 2e 31 D0
r2 2 . (28)
dr 2 r dr c 33 c 33 r2 c 33 r 2

Introducing the new searched function

1
w( r ) R ( k1 r ) (29)
k1 r

reduces Eq. (29) to the inhomogeneous Bessel equation

680
 d 2u 1 du u 2e 31 D0
[k 2 r 2 2
] , (30)
2 2
dr r dr r c 33 r 2

where k / cr c 33 , 2 2( c11 c12 c13 ) / c 33 , c r is the speed of sound along the axis of polarization.
Solving the homogeneous equation, we get

1
u Z ( kr ), (31)
kr

where 2
2 (1/ 4 ); Z C1 J C 2 N , C1 and C 2 are constants, which are determined from the boundary conditions

du u e 33 D0
2 . (32)
dr r r2 r R ,R

Substituting (31) into (32), we obtain

e33 D 0 R 2 a 22 R 2 a12 e 33 D 0 R 2 a11 R 2 a 21

C1 , C2 , (33)
R2R2 a11 a 22 a12 a 21 R2R2 a11 a 22 a12 a 21

where

k
a11 2 k J ( kR ) kR J 1 ( kR ),
2

k
a12 2 k N ( kR ) kR N 1 ( kR ),
2

k
a 21 2 k J ( kR ) kR J 1 ( kR ),
2

k
a 22 2 k N ( kR ) kR N 1 ( kR ).
2

If the determinant is equal to zero, the natural frequencies are defined by

a11 a 22 a12 a 21 0. (34)

Since an electrostatic potential is specified on the outer surfaces, it can be expressed in terms of electric-flux density in
view of (28):

d e 33 du 2e13 u D0
. (35)
dr 2
33 dr 33 r 33 r

With (36), Eq. (30) turns into the expression

d 2u 2 du 2 u 2e 31 D0
[ k12 r 2 1] 2 , (36)
dr 2 r dr r r3

where 2 2 2
k1 / k 33 33 / , k 33 c 33 ( e 33 / 33 ) is the static electromechanical coupling coefficient;
2 2 2
1 ( c11 c12 ) 33 2e 33 . As is seen, if e ij 0, then k k1 and 1 . The solution of the homogeneous equation is

u0 A1 j n 1/ 2 ( k1 r ) A 2 yn 1/ 2 ( k1 r ), (37)

681
 ur c11
1
n=0
24
1

0 20 n=1

n=2
2
4 n=5
–1 16
n = 100
3 n = 10

3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 1 Fig. 2

Trr, ur ,Dr
n = 10000
n = 10
0.75 n=5 24
n=2
n=1 n=1
n=2
0.5 n=5 n = 10000
20
n = 10 n = 10
0.25 n=5
n = 10000
n=2
16
0 n=1

3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 3 Fig. 4

where n 0.5 2
1 (1/ 4 ), j n 0. 5 ( k1 r ), y n 0. 5 ( k1 r ) are the Bessel spherical functions of the first and second kinds; A1 and
A 2 are constants. The partial solution of the inhomogeneous equation (36) can be found with the method of Lagrangian
multipliers. However, a closed solution in special functions is very difficult to quantitatively analyze and has not been analyzed
yet. Moreover, it is impossible to obtain an analytical solution for a functionally graded material. In (30) and (36), k , k1 and , 1
are functions of the radial coordinate r. Therefore, Eqs. (30) and (36) are no longer Bessel equations. The natural frequencies and
amplitudes of vibrations can be determined with the method proposed here.
The values of the first dimensionless frequencies obtained from (34) are equal to 0.4685, 2.0465, 4.5559, and 6.7269.
Strange as it may seem, the values of frequencies of acoustic vibrations in a flat layer are very close to the above values
(except for the first frequency). These values follow from the formulas

2
e 33
1
U ( 2n ) n c 33 0, 3.95, 7.901, … n 0, 1, 2, …, (38)
ï 33

2
e 33
1
U ( 2n 1) n c 33 1.995, 6.729, …, (39)
ï 33

682
 Trr, ur n = 10000 ,Dr
n = 10
n=5
n=2
n=1
0.5 0.5

n=1
n=2 n=1
0 n = 10000 0 n=2
n = 10
n=5 n=5
n = 10

–0.5 –0.5 n = 10000

3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Trr, ur ,Dr n = 10000

n = 10000
n = 10
n = 10 n=2
0.5 n = 10000 0.75 n=5
n=5
n=1
n = 10

0 n=5 0.5
n= 1
n=
2

–0.5 0.25
n=1
n=2

–1 0
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 7 Fig. 8

where n are the nonzero roots of the transcendental equation

2
e 33
cos sin 0. (40)
2
e 33
c 33
33

Figure 1 shows the distribution of the radial displacements over the thickness. As is seen, the number of roots of the
displacement function increases with the overtone number.
Let us consider a vibrating hollow sphere with the same geometrical characteristics made of a functionally graded
piezoceramic material. Expression (16) is the general formula for the material characteristics; Pp and Pm are the characteristics
of the ceramics and metal, respectively. The volume fraction of the ceramics appearing in (17) can vary within 0 n 1000. If
n 0, then the structure is completely metallic; if n , the structure is completely piezoceramic (Fig. 2).
In the case of radial vibrations, the Legendre polynomial index is equal to zero (k 0). Since P0 (cos ) 1 const,
Tr ( r, ) u ( r, ) 0 follows from (21).
Figures 3 and 4 demonstrate the distribution of dimensionless amplitudes of radial vibrations over the thickness for the
first natural frequency. The solid lines in Fig. 3 correspond to the radial stresses Trr , and the dashed line to the radial

683
 Trr, ur ,Dr
n = 10000
n = 10
n=5
0.5 n=2 0.5

n=1

0
0
n = 10000 n=1
n = 10 n=2
–0.5 n=5 n=5
n=2 –0.5
n = 10
n=1
n = 10000
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 9 Fig. 10

Trr, ur ,Dr
n = 10000 n = 10000 n = 10000
n = 10 n = 10
n=5 0.75 n = 10
0.5 n=5
n=5
n=2 n=2
n=2
n=1 0.5 n=1
0

0.25

–0.5 n=1
0

3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 11 Fig. 12

displacements u r . In the case of a homogeneous material (PZT4 piezoceramics), the amplitudes are shown by heavy lines. The
solid lines in Fig. 4 represent the electrostatic potential ; the dashed lines, the normal component of electric-flux density Dr .
The heavy lines represent the amplitudes of the sphere made of homogeneous PZT4 piezoceramics.
As is seen, the inhomogeneity of the material has a stronger effect on the electrostatic potential and radial stresses.
Figures 5 and 6 show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of radial vibrations over the thickness for the
second natural frequency. In this case, the inhomogeneity has a stronger effect on the electrostatic potential and radial
displacements.
Figures 7 and 8 show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of radial vibrations over the thickness for the
third natural frequency. In this case, the inhomogeneity of the material has a stronger effect on the electrostatic potential and the
radial stresses and displacements.
Figures 9 and 10 show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of radial vibrations over the thickness for the
fourth natural frequency. In this case, the inhomogeneity of the material has a stronger effect on the electrostatic potential.
Figures 11 and 12 show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of radial vibrations over the thickness for the
fifth natural frequency. In this case, the inhomogeneity has a stronger effect on the electrostatic potential. Note that the number of
zeros of the amplitude functions increases with the overtone number.

684
 1

–1

–2 0 2 x
Fig. 13

TABLE

Frequency number Values found here Values found in [27]

1 0.4768 0.4770

2 0.7200 0.720

3 0.9325 0.932

4 1.2249 1.225

5 1.4418 1.442

3.2. Split Electrodes. Let us consider a sphere covered by electrodes split along the line / 2. A harmonic potential
i t with phase shift
V0 e / 2between the upper and lower half-spheres is applied to the electrodes. The functions and
are defined as follows:

for 0 /2 V0 j P j (cos ), V0 j P j (cos ),

j 0 j 0

for 0 /2 V0 j P j (cos ), V0 j P j (cos ), (41)

j 0 j 0

for /2 0,

where j are the coefficients of expansions of the Heaviside function into a series of Legendre polynomials:
1
2j 1
j H ( y )P ( y )dy. (42)
2
1

1, 1 y 0,
Here y cos , H ( y ) 1, 0 y 1,
0, y 0.

685
 ur , u Trr ,Tr
n = 10000
n=2 n=1 n = 10
n = 5 n = 10 n=5
n = 10000
0.75 0.75

n=10
n=10000 n=2
0.5 0.5
n=5 n=1
n=1 n=2
n=2
0.25 0.25 n=1
n=1
n = 10000
n = 10 n = 5
0 0
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 14 Fig. 15

,Dr n = 10000 ur , u
n = 10
n = 10000 n=5
n = 10 n=2 0.75 n=10000
0.5 n=5 n=1 n = 10
n=2 n=5
n=2
n=1 0.5 n=1

0
0.25
n=2
n=1 n=5
–0.5 0 n=10
n=10000
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 16 Fig. 17

As analysis of formula (42) shows that the coefficients with even values of the Legendre polynomial index are equal to
zero. Thus, the summing in series (38) is over the odd values of this index.
It follows from numerical analysis that expanding a discontinuous function into a Fourier series (series of Legendre
polynomial can be considered a generalized Fourier series) leads to so-called “Gibbs oscillations” at the points of discontinuity.
Let us illustrate this situation for the first nine terms of the series (Fig. 13). The values of the function for the first nine terms in
series (41) are shown by a heavy line. The situation can be improved using either the Fejer method (dash-and-dot line) or
Lanczos multipliers (dashed line) [25]. It is obvious that the application of Lanczos multipliers is preferable because the value of
can be found more quickly in this case.
In the case of a homogeneous sphere, the solution found is compared with the results obtained by expanding the solution
for the unknown functions into a power series in the radial coordinate [27]. The frequencies are given in Table 1.
Let us consider the vibrations of a hollow sphere made of a functionally graded piezoceramic material. Figures 14–16
show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of axisymmetric vibrations over the thickness for the first natural
frequency (k = 3). The solid lines in Fig. 14 correspond to the radial displacements u r , while the dashed lines to the meridional
displacements u . The heave lines represent the amplitudes for the PZT 4 homogeneous piezoceramic sphere. The solid lines in
Fig. 15 correspond to the normal stress Trr , while the dashed lines to the tangential stress Tr . The solid lines in Fig. 16
correspond to the electrostatic potential , while the dashed lines to the normal component of the electric-flux density Dr .

686
 Trr ,Tr n = 10000 ,Dr n = 10000
n = 10 n=1
n = 10
n=2 n=5
0.75 0.75 n=2
n=5
n=1
n = 10
0.5 0.5
n=5
n=2 n=1
n=2
n=1
0.25 0.25 n=5
n=10
n = 10000 n = 10000
0 0
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 18 Fig. 19

ur , u Trr ,Tr
n=2
n=5 n=1
n=5
0.75 n=1 n=2 n = 10 0.75
n = 10
n = 10000
n = 10000
0.5 0.5
n=1
n=1
n = 10000 n=2
0.25 n = 10 n = 5 n=2 0.25
n=1 n=5
n = 10
0 –0.5 n = 10000
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 20 Fig. 21

It can be seen that the inhomogeneity of the material has a stronger effect on the electric-flux density, electrostatic
potential, and stresses.
Figures 17–19 show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of axisymmetric vibrations over the thickness for
the second natural frequency (k = 1). The inhomogeneity of the material has a stronger effect on the radial stresses and
electrostatic potential.
Figures 20–22 show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of axisymmetric vibrations over the thickness for
the third natural frequency (k = 5). The inhomogeneity of the material has a stronger effect on the electric-flux density,
electrostatic potential, and radial stresses.
Figures 23–25 show the distribution of the dimensionless amplitudes of axisymmetric vibrations over the thickness for
the fourth natural frequency (k = 3). The inhomogeneity of the material has a stronger effect on the electric-flux density,
electrostatic potential, and radial stresses.
Conclusions. We have analyzed, using the three-dimensional theory of electroelasticity, how the inhomogeneous
structure of a piezoceramic sphere covered by split and solid electrodes affects the distribution of the electric and elastic
characteristics when subject to electrical excitation. To solve the problems stated, the effective numerical method of discrete
orthogonalization has been used. It has been shown how the inhomogeneity of the material affect the behavior of the
electroelastic characteristics when vibrations are excited at several first natural frequencies. The effect of the electrical excitation

687
 ,Dr n = 10000 ur , u
n = 10
n=5 0.75
n=2
0.5 n=1 n = 10000
n = 10
0.5
n=2 n=5
n=1

0 n=2 0.25 n=1 n=1

n=5
n=5
n = 10
n = 10000 0 n=2 n = 10
–0.5
–0.25 n = 10000
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 22 Fig. 23

Trr ,Tr ,Dr

n=1 n=1
0.75 n=2 0.75 n=2
n=5 n=5
n = 10 n = 10
0.5 0.5

0.25 0.25
n = 1 n = 2 n = 10 n = 10000 n=1 n = 2 n = 10 n = 10000
n=10000 n=5 n=10000 n=5

0 0
3 3.5 4 4.5 r 3 3.5 4 4.5 r

Fig. 24 Fig. 25

of vibrations of the piezoceramic sphere on the behavior of such electric characteristics as electric-flux density and electrostatic
potential as well as the mechanical characteristics including displacements and stresses has been analyzed and compared with
other known results.

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