Semi-analytical solution of time-dependent electro-thermo-mechanical creep for radially polarized piezoelectric cylinder

History of strains, stresses, deformations and electric potentials of hollow cylinders made from PZT_5 have been investigated using successive elastic solution method. A differential equation containing creep strains for displacement is obtained. Since creep strains are time, temperature and stress dependent, the closed form solution cannot be found for this constitutive differential equation. Hence, a semi-analytical method is proposed. Electric potentials increase with time (similar to the radial stress histories), since it is induced by the radial stress histories during creep deformation of the cylinder, justifying industrial application of such a material as efficient actuators and sensors.