A nonlinear theory for electroelastic shells with relatively large in-plane shear deformation and its implications in nonlinear mode coupling

A set of nonlinear two-dimensional equations for thin electroelastic shells in vibrations with moderately large shear deformation in the tangent plane are obtained from the three-dimensional equations of nonlinear electroelasticity. As an example for application, the equations are used to study nonlinear torsional vibration of a circular cylindrical piezoelectric shell. It is shown that torsion is nonlinearly coupled to axial extension and circumferential extension. The results of this paper emphasize the need for further study of mode coupling induced by nonlinearity.