New mixed finite elements for the discretization of piezoelectric structures or macro-fiber composites

We propose a new three-dimensional formulation based on the mixed tangential-displacement normal-normal-stress method for elasticity. In elastic tangential-displacement normal-normal-stress elements, the tangential component of the displacement field and the normal component of the stress vector are degrees of freedom and continuous across inter-element interfaces. Tangential-displacement normal-normal-stress finite elements have been shown to be locking-free with respect to shear locking in thin elements, which makes them suitable for the discretization of laminates or macro-fiber composites. In the current paper, we extend the formulation to piezoelectric materials by adding the electric potential as degree of freedom.