Buckling analysis of functionally graded arbitrary straight-sided quadrilateral plates on elastic foundations

As a first endeavor, the buckling analysis of functionally graded (FG) arbitrary straight-sided quadrilateral plates rested on two-parameter elastic foundation under in-plane loads is presented. The formulation is based on the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The material properties are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction. The solution procedure is composed of transforming the governing equations from physical domain to computational domain and then discretization of the spatial derivatives by employing the differential quadrature method (DQM) as an efficient and accurate numerical tool. After studying the convergence of the method, its accuracy is demonstrated by comparing the obtained solutions with the existing results in literature for isotropic skew and FG rectangular plates. Then, the effects of thickness-to-length ratio, elastic foundation parameters, volume fraction index, geometrical shape and the boundary conditions on the critical buckling load parameter of the FG plates are studied.     

Free vibration analysis of elastically supported functionally graded annular plates subjected to thermal environment

Free vibration analysis of functionally graded (FG) thin-to-moderately thick annular plates subjected to thermal environment and supported on two-parameter elastic foundation is investigated. The material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent and graded in the thickness direction. The equations of motion and the related boundary conditions, which include the effects of initial thermal stresses, are derived using the Hamilton’s principle based on the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The initial thermal stresses are obtained by solving the thermoelastic equilibrium equations. Differential quadrature method (DQM) as an efficient and accurate numerical tool is adopted to solve the thermoelastic equilibrium equations and the equations of motion. The formulations are validated by comparing the results in the limit cases with the available solutions in the literature for isotropic and FG circular and annular plates. The effects of the temperature rise, elastic foundation coefficients, the material graded index and different geometrical parameters on the frequency parameters of the FG annular plates are investigated. The new results can be used as benchmark solutions for future researches.     

Non-linear analysis of functionally graded circular plates under asymmetric transverse loading

Based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory with von Karman non-linearity, the non-linear axisymmetric and asymmetric behavior of functionally graded circular plates under transverse mechanical loading are investigated. Introducing a stress function and a potential function, the governing equations are uncoupled to form equations describing the interior and edge-zone problems of FG plates. This uncoupling is then used to conveniently present an analytical solution for the non-linear asymmetric deformation of an FG circular plate. A perturbation technique, in conjunction with Fourier series method to model the problem asymmetries, is used to obtain the solution for various clamped and simply supported boundary conditions. The material properties are graded through the plate thickness according to a power-law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. The results are verified by comparison with the existing results in the literature. The effects of non-linearity, material properties, boundary conditions, and boundary-layer phenomena on various response quantities in a solid circular plate are studied and discussed. It is found that linear analysis is inadequate for analysis of simply supported FG plates which are immovable in radial direction even in the small deflection range. Furthermore, the responses of FG materials under a positive load and a negative load of identical magnitude are not the same. It is observed that the boundary-layer width is approximately equal to the plate thickness with the boundary-layer effect in clamped FG plates being stronger than that in simply supported plates.     

Linear water wave propagation through multiple floating elastic plates of variable properties

We investigate the problem of linear water wave propagation under a set of elastic plates of variable properties. The problem is two-dimensional, but we allow the waves to be incident from an angle. Since the properties of the elastic plates can be set arbitrarily, the solution method can also be applied to model regions of open water as well as elastic plates. We assume that the boundary conditions at the plate edges are the free boundary conditions, although the method could be extended straightforwardly to cover other possible boundary conditions. The solution method is based on an eigenfunction expansion under each elastic plate and on matching these expansions at each plate boundary. We choose the number of matching conditions so that we have fewer equations than unknowns. The extra equations are found by applying the free-edge boundary conditions. We show that our results agree with previous work and that they satisfy the energy balance condition. We also compare our results with a series of experiments using floating elastic plates, which were performed in a two-dimensional wave tank.     

A free rectangular plate on elastic foundation

In the theory of elastic thin plates, the bending of a rectangular plate on the elastic foundation is also a difficult problem. This paper provides a rigorous solution by the method of superposition. It satisfies the differential equation, the boundary conditions of the edges and the free corners. Thus we are led to a system of infinite simultaneous equations. The problem solved is for a plate with a concentrated load at its center. The reactive forces from the foundation should be made to be in equilibrium with the concentrated force to see whether our calculation is correct or not.     

Buckling analysis of sandwich plates with FGM face sheets resting on elastic foundation with various boundary conditions: an analytical approach

This paper presents an analytical investigation on the buckling analysis of symmetric sandwich plates with functionally graded material (FGM) face sheets resting on an elastic foundation based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory (FSDT) and subjected to mechanical, thermal and thermo-mechanical loads. The material properties of FGM face sheets are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The core layer is still homogeneous and made of an isotropic material. An analytical approach is used to reduce the governing equations of stability and then solved using an analytical solution which is named as power series Frobenius method for symmetric sandwich plates with six different boundary conditions. A detailed numerical study is carried out to examine the influence of the plate aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio, loading type, sandwich plate type, volume fraction index, elastic foundation coefficients and boundary conditions on the buckling response of FGM sandwich plates. This has not been done before and serves to fill the gap of knowledge in this area.     

An analytical solution for buckling of moderately thick functionally graded sector and annular sector plates

In this article, an analytical solution for buckling of moderately thick functionally graded (FG) sectorial plates is presented. It is assumed that the material properties of the FG plate vary through the thickness of the plate as a power function. The stability equations are derived according to the Mindlin plate theory. By introducing four new functions, the stability equations are decoupled. The decoupled stability equations are solved analytically for both sector and annular sector plates with two simply supported radial edges. Satisfying the edges conditions along the circular edges of the plate, an eigenvalue problem for finding the critical buckling load is obtained. Solving the eigenvalue problem, the numerical results for the critical buckling load and mode shapes are obtained for both sector and annular sector plates. Finally, the effects of boundary conditions, volume fraction, inner to outer radius ratio (annularity) and plate thickness are studied. The results for critical buckling load of functionally graded sectorial plates are reported for the first time and can be used as benchmark.     

Mechanical buckling and free vibration of thick functionally graded plates resting on elastic foundation using the higher order B-spline finite strip method

In this study, the mechanical buckling and free vibration of thick rectangular plates made of functionally graded materials (FGMs) resting on elastic foundation subjected to in-plane loading is considered. The third order shear deformation theory (TSDT) is employed to derive the governing equations. It is assumed that the material properties of FGM plates vary smoothly by distribution of power law across the plate thickness. The elastic foundation is modeled by the Winkler and two-parameter Pasternak type of elastic foundation. Based on the spline finite strip method, the fundamental equations for functionally graded plates are obtained by discretizing the plate into some finite strips. The results are achieved by the minimization of the total potential energy and solving the corresponding eigenvalue problem. The governing equations are solved for FGM plates buckling analysis and free vibration, separately. In addition, numerical results for FGM plates with different boundary conditions have been verified by comparing to the analytical solutions in the literature. Furthermore, the effects of different values of the foundation stiffness parameters on the response of the FGM plates are determined and discussed.     

On the simple and mixed first-order theories for functionally graded plates resting on elastic foundations

In this article, the bending response of a functionally graded plate resting on elastic foundations and subjected to a transverse mechanical load is investigated. An accurate solution for the functionally graded plate with simply supported edges resting on elastic foundations is presented. The interaction between the plate and the elastic foundations is considered and included in the equilibrium equations. Pasternak’s model is used to describe the two-parameter elastic foundations, and get a special case of Winkler’s model by considering one-parameter of elastic foundation. A relationship between the simple and mixed first-order transverse shear deformation theories is presented. Numerical results for deflections and stresses of functionally graded plates are investigated. Comparisons between the results of the simple and mixed first-order theories are made, and appropriate conclusion is formulated. Additional boundary conditions at the edges of the present plates are investigated.     

Thermal buckling and post-buckling response of imperfect temperature-dependent sandwich FGM plates resting on elastic foundation

Post-buckling behaviour of sandwich plates with functionally graded material (FGM) face sheets under uniform temperature rise loading is considered. It is assumed that the plate is in contact with a Pasternak-type elastic foundation during deformation, which acts in both compression and tension. The derivation of equations is based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory. Thermomechanical non-homogeneous properties of FGM layers vary smoothly by the distribution of power law across the thickness, and temperature dependency of material constituents is taken into account. Using the non-linear von-Karman strain-displacement relations, the equilibrium and compatibility equations of imperfect sandwich plates with FGM face sheets are derived. The boundary conditions for the plate are assumed to be simply supported in all edges. The governing equations are reduced to two coupled equation in terms of stress function and lateral deflection. Employing the single mode approach combined with Galerkin technique, an approximate closed-form solution is presented to calculate the critical buckling temperature and post-buckling equilibrium path of the plate. Presented numerical examples contain the influences of power law index, sandwich plate geometry, geometrical imperfection, temperature dependency, and the elastic foundation coefficients.     

Semi-analytical solution for three-dimensional vibration of thick continuous grading fiber reinforced (CGFR) annular plates on Pasternak elastic foundations with arbitrary boundary conditions on their circular edges

In this paper free vibration of continuous grading fiber reinforced (CGFR) annular plates on an elastic foundation, based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity, for different boundary conditions at the circular edges is investigated. The foundation is described by the Pasternak or two-parameter model. The CGFR annular plates have an arbitrary variation of fiber volume fraction in the thickness direction. A semi-analytical approach composed of differential quadrature method (DQM) and series solution is adopted to solve the equations of motion. The fast rate of convergence of the method is demonstrated and comparison studies are carried out to establish its very high accuracy and versatility. Some new results for the natural frequencies of the plate are prepared, which include the effects of elastic coefficients of foundation, boundary conditions, material and geometrical parameters. Besides, results for CGFR plate with arbitrary variation of fiber volume fraction in the thickness direction of the plate are compared with discrete laminated composite plate. The main contribution of this work is to present useful results for continuous grading of fiber reinforcement in the thickness direction of a plate on an elastic foundation and comparison with similar discrete laminated composite plate. The interesting and new results show that non-dimensional natural frequency parameters of a functionally graded fiber volume fraction is larger than that of a discrete laminated and close to that of a 2-layer. The new results can be taken as the benchmark solutions for those from numerical methods and future researches.     

Three-dimensional analysis of transient thermal stresses in functionally graded plates

An analytical solution is presented for three-dimensional thermomechanical deformations of a simply supported functionally graded (FG) rectangular plate subjected to time-dependent thermal loads on its top and/or bottom surfaces. Material properties are taken to be analytical functions of the thickness coordinate. The uncoupled quasi-static linear thermoelasticity theory is adopted in which the change in temperature, if any, due to deformations is neglected. A temperature function that identically satisfies thermal boundary conditions at the edges and the Laplace transformation technique are used to reduce equations governing the transient heat conduction to an ordinary differential equation (ODE) in the thickness coordinate which is solved by the power series method. Next, the elasticity problem for the simply supported plate for each instantaneous temperature distribution is analyzed by using displacement functions that identically satisfy boundary conditions at the edges. The resulting coupled ODEs with variable coefficients are also solved by the power series method. The analytical solution is applicable to a plate of arbitrary thickness. Results are given for two-constituent metal-ceramic FG rectangular plates with a power-law through-the-thickness variation of the volume fraction of the constituents. The effective elastic moduli at a point are determined by either the Mori–Tanaka or the self-consistent scheme. The transient temperature, displacements, and thermal stresses at several critical locations are presented for plates subjected to either time-dependent temperature or heat flux prescribed on the top surface. Results are also given for various volume fractions of the two constituents, volume fraction profiles and the two homogenization schemes.     

非均匀Winkler弹性地基上变厚度矩形板自由振动的DTM求解

针对非均匀Winkler弹性地基上变厚度矩形板的自由振动问题,通过一种有效的数值求解方法——微分变换法（DTM）,研究其无量纲固有频率特性。已知变厚度矩形板对边为简支边界条件,其他两边的边界条件为简支、固定或自由任意组合。采用DTM将非均匀Winkler弹性地基上变厚度矩形板无量纲化的自由振动控制微分方程及其边界条件变换为等价的代数方程,得到含有无量纲固有频率的特征方程。数值结果退化为均匀Winker弹性地基上矩形板以及变厚度矩形板的情形,并与已有文献采用的不同求解方法进行比较,结果表明,DTM具有非常高的精度和很强的适用性。最后,在不同边界条件下分析地基变化参数、厚度变化参数和长宽比对矩形板无量纲固有频率的影响,并给出了非均匀Winkler弹性地基上对边简支对边固定变厚度矩形板的前六阶振型。     

Nonlinear vibration analysis of piezo-thermo-electrically actuated functionally graded circular plates

A theoretical model for geometrically nonlinear vibration analysis of thermo-piezoelectrically actuated circular plates made of functionally grade material (FGM) is presented based on Kirchhoff’s–Love hypothesis with von-Karman type geometrical large nonlinear deformations. The material properties of the FG core plate are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to the power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. Dynamic equations and boundary conditions including thermal, elastic and piezoelectric couplings are formulated and solutions are derived. An exact series expansion method combined with perturbation approach is used to model the nonlinear thermo-electro-mechanical vibration behavior of the structure. Control of the FG plate’s nonlinear deflections and natural frequencies using high control voltages is studied and their nonlinear effects are evaluated. Numerical results for FG plates with various mixtures of ceramic and metal are presented in dimensionless forms. A parametric study is also undertaken to highlight the effects of the thermal environment, applied actuator voltage and material composition of the FG core plate on the nonlinear vibration characteristics of the composite structure.     

Modified equations of finite-size layered plates made of orthotropic material. Comparison of the results of numerical calculations with analytical solutions

This paper describes the modified bending equations of layered orthotropic plates in the first approximation. The approximation of the solution of the equation of the three-dimensional theory of elasticity by the Legendre polynomial segments is used to obtain differential equations of the elastic layer. For the approximation of equilibrium equations and boundary conditions of three-dimensional theory of elasticity, several approximations of each desired function (stresses and displacements) are used. The stresses at the internal points of the plate are determined from the defining equations for the orthotropic material, averaged with respect to the plate thickness. The construction of the bending equations of layered plates for each layer is carried out with the help of the elastic layer equations and the conjugation conditions on the boundaries between layers, which are conditions for the continuity of normal stresses and displacements. The numerical solution of the problem of bending of the rectangular layered plate obtained with the help of modified equations is compared with an analytical solution. It is determined that the maximum error in determining the stresses does not exceed 3 %.     

THEORETIC SOLUTION OF RECTANGULAR THIN PLATE ON FOUNDATION WITH FOUR EDGES FREE BY SYMPLECTIC GEOMETRY METHOD

The theoretic solution for rectangular thin plate on foundation with four edges free is derived by symplectic geometry method. In the analysis proceeding, the elastic foundation is presented by the Winkler model. Firstly, the basic equations for elastic thin plate are transferred into Hamilton canonical equations. The symplectic geometry method is used to separate the whole variables and eigenvalues are obtained simultaneously. Finally, according to the method of eigen function expansion, the explicit solution for rectangular thin plate on foundation with the boundary conditions of four edges frees are developed. Since the basic elasticity equations of thin plate are only used and it is not need to select the deformation function arbitrarily. Therefore, the solution is theoretical and reasonable. In order to show the correction of formulations derived, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the accuracy and convergence of the current solution.     

Nonlinear dynamic response of nanotube-reinforced composite plates resting on elastic foundations in thermal environments

This paper presents an investigation on the nonlinear dynamic response of carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (CNTRC) plates resting on elastic foundations in thermal environments. Two configurations, i.e., single-layer CNTRC plate and three-layer plate that is composed of a homogeneous core layer and two CNTRC surface sheets, are considered. The single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) reinforcement is either uniformly distributed (UD) or functionally graded (FG) in the thickness direction. The material properties of FG-CNTRC plates are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction, and are estimated through a micromechanical model. The motion equations are based on a higher-order shear deformation theory with a von Kármán-type of kinematic nonlinearity. The thermal effects are also included and the material properties of CNTRCs are assumed to be temperature-dependent. The equations of motion that includes plate-foundation interaction are solved by a two-step perturbation technique. Two cases of the in-plane boundary conditions are considered. Initial stresses caused by thermal loads or in-plane edge loads are introduced. The effects of material property gradient, the volume fraction distribution, the foundation stiffness, the temperature change, the initial stress, and the core-to-face sheet thickness ratio on the dynamic response of CNTRC plates are discussed in detail through a parametric study.     

Stability analysis of functionally graded rectangular plates under nonlinearly varying in-plane loading resting on elastic foundation

In this research work, an exact analytical solution for buckling of functionally graded rectangular plates subjected to non-uniformly distributed in-plane loading acting on two opposite simply supported edges is developed. It is assumed that the plate rests on two-parameter elastic foundation and its material properties vary through the thickness of the plate as a power function. The neutral surface position for such plate is determined, and the classical plate theory based on exact neutral surface position is employed to derive the governing stability equations. Considering Levy-type solution, the buckling equation reduces to an ordinary differential equation with variable coefficients. An exact analytical solution is obtained for this equation in the form of power series using the method of Frobenius. By considering sufficient terms in power series, the critical buckling load of functionally graded plate with different boundary conditions is determined. The accuracy of presented results is verified by appropriate convergence study, and the results are checked with those available in related literature. Furthermore, the effects of power of functionally graded material, aspect ratio, foundation stiffness coefficients and in-plane loading configuration together with different combinations of boundary conditions on the critical buckling load of functionally graded rectangular thin plate are studied.     

Static analysis of rectangular thick plates resting on two-parameter elastic boundary strips

In this paper, the Generalized Differential Quadrature (GDQ) method is used to obtain bending solution of moderately thick rectangular plates. The plate is resting on two-parameter elastic (Pasternak) foundation or strips with a finite width. Various combinations of clamped, simply supported and free boundary conditions are considered. According to the first-order shear deformation theory, the governing equations of the problem consist of three second-order partial differential equations (PDEs) in terms of displacement and rotations of the plate. The governing equations and solution domain is discretized based on the GDQ method. It is demonstrated that the method converges rapidly while providing accurate results with relatively small number of grid points. Accuracy of the results is examined using available data in the literature for Pasternak foundation. Furthermore, due to lack of data for Pasternak strips, all predictions are verified by finite element analysis which can be used as benchmark in future studies.     

The validity range of CPT and Mindlin plate theory in comparison with 3-D vibrational analysis of circular plates on the elastic foundation

The validity and the range of applicability of the classical plate theory (CPT) and the first-order shear deformation plate theory, also called Mindlin plate theory (MPT), in comparison with three-dimensional (3-D) p-Ritz solution are presented for freely vibrating circular plates on the elastic foundation with different boundary conditions. In order to achieve this purpose, a study of the 3-D elasticity solution is carried out to determine the free vibration frequencies of clamped, simply supported and free circular plates resting on an elastic foundation. The Pasternak model with adding a shear layer to the Winkler model is used for describing the elastic foundation. In addition to being employed the p-Ritz algorithm, the analysis is based on the linear, small strain and 3-D elasticity theory. In this analysis method, a set of orthogonal polynomial series in a cylindrical polar coordinate system is used to arrive eigenvalue equation yielding the natural frequencies for the circular plates. The accuracy of these results is verified by appropriate convergence studies and checked with the available literature and the MPT. Furthermore, the effect of the foundation stiffness parameters, thickness-radius ratio, and different boundary conditions on the ill-conditioning of the mass matrix as well as on the vibration behavior of the circular plates is investigated. Afterwards, the validity and the range of applicability of the results obtained on the basis of the CPT and MPT for a thin and moderately thick circular plate with different values of the foundation stiffness parameters are graphically presented through comparing them with those obtained by the present 3-D p-Ritz solution. Finally, the phenomenon of mode shape switching is investigated in graphical forms for a wide range of the Winkler foundation stiffness parameters.