Dimension reduction for a coupled electro-elastic saddle-point problem at finite strains

Abstract

We study the finite deformation of a thin, elastically heterogeneous sheet subject to electrostatic coupling. The interaction between mechanics and electrostatics is formulated as a saddle-point problem involving the deformation and the electrostatic potential. Starting from a three-dimensional electro-elastic model with prestrain in the elastic energy, we rigorously derive a reduced plate model in the bending regime. To perform the dimension reduction, that is, to derive the energy of a thin object by taking a suitable limit as its thickness tends to zero, we apply $\Gamma$-convergence-type methods to the underlying saddle-point problem. In the case of bivariate functionals, this convergence is understood in an adapted epi/hypo-convergence sense. In this concept, we demonstrate the convergence of the rescaled electro-elastic problems to an effective two-dimensional bending model coupled to electric effects. We verify that cluster points of saddle points are saddle points for the limit.