A Note on Possible Flutter of Piezoelectric Layers

This technical note presents the solution for flutter instability of a piezoelectric layer subjected to an external voltage which can be modeled as a compressive follower force. The critical ratio of the length to the thickness of the piezoelectric layer for the possible flutter instability is derived given the endurable electric field of the piezoelectric material. The calculation is conducted for piezoelectric layers which are both free and surface bonded on a host structure. Numerical simulations are conducted for the possible flutter instability of different PZT (Lead Zirconium Titanate) materials. The findings in this study should serve as useful benchmarks for the stability analysis of piezoelectric materials.