Analytical solution of rectangular plate with in-plane variable stiffness

The bending problem of a thin rectangular plate with in-plane variable stiffness is studied. The basic equation is formulated for the two-opposite-edge simply supported rectangular plate under the distributed loads. The formulation is based on the assumption that the flexural rigidity of the plate varies in the plane following a power form, and Poisson’s ratio is constant. A fourth-order partial differential equation with variable coefficients is derived by assuming a Levy-type form for the transverse displacement. The governing equation can be transformed into a Whittaker equation, and an analytical solution is obtained for a thin rectangular plate subjected to the distributed loads. The validity of the present solution is shown by comparing the present results with those of the classical solution. The influence of in-plane variable stiffness on the deflection and bending moment is studied by numerical examples. The analytical solution presented here is useful in the design of rectangular plates with in-plane variable stiffness.     

Global bifurcations and multi-pulse chaotic dynamics of rectangular thin plate with one-to-one internal resonance

Global bifurcations and multi-pulse chaotic dynamics for a simply supported rectangular thin plate are studied by the extended Melnikov method.The rectangular thin plate is subject to transversal and in-plane excitation.A two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear nonautonomous system governing equations of motion for the rectangular thin plate is derived by the von Karman type equation and the Galerkin approach.A one-toone internal resonance is considered.An averaged equation is obtained with a multi-scale method.After transforming the averaged equation into a standard form,the extended Melnikov method is used to show the existence of multi-pulse chaotic dynamics,which can be used to explain the mechanism of modal interactions of thin plates.A method for calculating the Melnikov function is given without an explicit analytical expression of homoclinic orbits.Furthermore,restrictions on the damping,excitation,and detuning parameters are obtained,under which the multi-pulse chaotic dynamics is expected.The results of numerical simulations are also given to indicate the existence of small amplitude multi-pulse chaotic responses for the rectangular thin plate.     

Solution of bending of cantilever rectangular plates under uniform surface-load by the method of two-direction trigonometric series

The bending of a cantilever rectangular plate is a very complicated problem in thetheory of plates.For a long time,there have been only approximate solutions for thisproblem by energy methods and numerical methods.since 1979,Prof.F.V.Chang of Tsing Hua University obtained,by the method ofsuperposition,a series of analytic solutions for cantilever rectangular plates under uniformload and concentrated load.In this paper,the two-direction trigonometric series is used to obtain the solution forthe bending of cantilever rectangular plates under uniform load.The obtained results arecompared with the results by the method of superposition.The comparison shows that theresults of these two methods are in good agreement,hence they are mutually confirmed to becorrect.     

New exact solutions for free vibrations of rectangular thin plates by symplectic dual method

The separation of variables is employed to solve Hamiltonian dual form of eigenvalue problem for transverse free vibrations of thin plates, and formulation of the natural mode in closed form is performed. The closed-form natural mode satisfies the governing equation of the eigenvalue problem of thin plate exactly and is applicable for any types of boundary conditions. With all combinations of simplysupported （S） and clamped （C） boundary conditions applied to the natural mode, the mode shapes are obtained uniquely and two eigenvalue equations are derived with respect to two spatial coordinates, with the aid of which the normal modes and frequencies are solved exactly. It was believed that the exact eigensolutions for cases SSCC, SCCC and CCCC were unable to be obtained, however, they are successfully found in this paper. Comparisons between the present results and the FEM results validate the present exact solutions, which can thus be taken as the benchmark for verifying different approximate approaches.     

Application of the reciprocal theorem for calculating the natural frequencies of rectangular elastic thin plates

This paper further extends the applications of the reciprocal theorem to calculating thenatural frequencies of rectangular elastic thin plates on the basis of [1]. Applying thepresented method. there is no need to solve governing differential equations. it is onlynecessary to solve a simple integral equation after using the reciprocal theorem between thebasic system and the actual system.Using the idea of the generalized edge simply supported and introducing the frequencymatrix. then all frequency equations of the rectangular plates with two opposite edgessimply supported and other two opposite edges variously suppored are obtained together.This is a simple convenient and general method for calculating the frequencyequations of the rectangular plates.     

Free vibration of functionally graded beams based on both classical and first-order shear deformation beam theories

The free vibration of functionally graded material （FGM） beams is studied based on both the classical and the first-order shear deformation beam theories. The equations of motion for the FGM beams are derived by considering the shear deforma- tion and the axial, transversal, rotational, and axial-rotational coupling inertia forces on the assumption that the material properties vary arbitrarily in the thickness direction. By using the numerical shooting method to solve the eigenvalue problem of the coupled ordinary differential equations with different boundary conditions, the natural frequen- cies of the FGM Timoshenko beams are obtained numerically. In a special case of the classical beam theory, a proportional transformation between the natural frequencies of the FGM and the reference homogenous beams is obtained by using the mathematical similarity between the mathematical formulations. This formula provides a simple and useful approach to evaluate the natural frequencies of the FGM beams without dealing with the tension-bending coupling problem. Approximately, this analogous transition can also be extended to predict the frequencies of the FGM Timoshenko beams. The numerical results obtained by the shooting method and those obtained by the analogous transformation are presented to show the effects of the material gradient, the slenderness ratio, and the boundary conditions on the natural frequencies in detail.     

CHARACTERISTIC EQUATIONS AND CLOSED-FORM SOLUTIONS FOR FREE VIBRATIONS OF RECTANGULAR MINDLIN PLATES

The direct separation of variables is used to obtain the closed-form solutions for the free vibrations of rectangular Mindlin plates. Three different characteristic equations are derived by using three different methods. It is found that the deflection can be expressed by means of the four characteristic roots and the two rotations should be expressed by all the six characteristic roots,which is the particularity of Mindlin plate theory. And the closed-form solutions,which satisfy two of the three governing equations and all boundary conditions and are accurate for rectangular plates with moderate thickness,are derived for any combinations of simply supported and clamped edges. The free edges can also be dealt with if the other pair of opposite edges is simply supported. The present results agree well with results published previously by other methods for different aspect ratios and relative thickness.     

MULTI-PULSE ORBITS AND CHAOTIC DYNAMICS OF A COMPOSITE LAMINATED RECTANGULAR PLATE

This paper presents an analysis on the nonlinear dynamics and multi-pulse chaotic motions of a simply-supported symmetric cross-ply composite laminated rectangular thin plate with the parametric and forcing excitations. Firstly, based on the Reddy’s third-order shear deformation plate theory and the model of the von Karman type geometric nonlinearity, the nonlinear governing partial difirential equations of motion for the composite laminated rectangular thin plate are derived by using the Hamilton’s principle. Then, using the second-order Galerkin discretization, the partial differential governing equations of motion are transformed to nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The case of the primary parametric resonance and 1:1 internal resonance is considered. Four-dimensional averaged equation is obtained by using the method of multiple scales. From the averaged equation obtained here, the theory of normal form is used to give the explicit expressions of normal form. Based on normal form, the energy phase method is utilized to analyze the global bifurcations and multi-pulse chaotic dynamics of the composite laminated rectangular thin plate. The theoretic results obtained above illustrate the existence of the chaos for the Smale horseshoe sense in a parametrical and forcing excited composite laminated thin plate. The chaotic motions of the composite laminated rectangular thin plate are also found by using numerical simulation, which also indicate that there exist different shapes of the multi-pulse chaotic motions for the composite laminated rectangular thin plate.     

NONLINEAR DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF A LAMINATED HYBRID COMPOSITE PLATE SUBJECTED TO TIME-DEPENDENT EXTERNAL PULSES

Nonlinear dynamic responses of a laminated hybrid composite plate subjected to time-dependent pulses are investigated. Dynamic equations of the plate are derived by the use of the virtual work principle. The geometric nonlinearity effects are taken into account with the von Kármán large deflection theory of thin plates. Approximate solutions for a clamped plate are assumed for the space domain. The single term approximation functions are selected by considering the nonlinear static deformation of plate obtained using the finite element method. The Galerkin Method is used to obtain the nonlinear differential equations in the time domain and a MATLAB software code is written to solve nonlinear coupled equations by using the Newmark Method. The results of approximate-numerical analysis are obtained and compared with the finite element results. Transient loading conditions considered include blast, sine, rectangular, and triangular pulses. A parametric study is conducted considering the effects of peak pressure, aspect ratio, fiber orientation and thicknesses.     

ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS TO STRESS CONCENTRATION PROBLEM IN PLATES CONTAINING RECTANGULAR HOLE UNDER BIAXIAL TENSIONS

The stress concentration problem in structures with a circular or elliptic hole can be investigated by analytical methods. For the problem with a rectangular hole, only approximate results are derived. This paper deduces the analytical solutions to the stress concentration problem in plates with a rectangular hole under biaxial tensions. By using the U-transformation technique and the finite element method, the analytical displacement solutions of the finite element equations are derived in the series form. Therefore, the stress concentration can then be discussed easily and conveniently. For plate problem the bilinear rectangular element with four nodes is taken as an example to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. The stress concentration factors for various ratios of height to width of the hole are obtained.     

Nonlinear dynamic response of a functionally graded plate with a through-width surface crack

A nonlinear vibration analysis of a simply supported functionally graded rectangular plate with a through-width surface crack is presented in this paper. The plate is subjected to a transverse excitation force. Material properties are graded in the thickness direction according to exponential distributions. The cracked plate is treated as an assembly of two sub-plates connected by a rotational spring at the cracked section whose stiffness is calculated through stress intensity factor. Based on Reddy’s third-order shear deformation plate theory, the nonlinear governing equations of motion for the FGM plate are derived by using the Hamilton’s principle. The deflection of each sub-plate is assumed to be a combination of the first two mode shape functions with unknown constants to be determined from boundary and compatibility conditions. The Galerkin’s method is then utilized to convert the governing equations to a two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear system including quadratic and cubic nonlinear terms under the external excitation, which is numerically solved to obtain the nonlinear responses of cracked FGM rectangular plates. The influences of material property gradient, crack depth, crack location and plate thickness ratio on the vibration frequencies and transient response of the surface-racked FGM plate are discussed in detail through a parametric study.     

The wave propagation and dynamic response of rectangular functionally graded material plates with completed clamped supports under impulse load

In this paper, the wave propagation and dynamic response of the rectangular FGM plates with completed clamped supports under impulse load are analyzed. The effective material properties of functionally graded materials (FGMs) for the plate are assumed to vary continuously through the plate thickness and be distributed according to a volume fraction power law along the plate thickness. Considering the effects of transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia, the governing equations of the wave propagation in the functionally graded plate are derived by using the Hamilton’s principle. A complete discussion of dispersion of the FGM plates is given. Using the dispersion relation and integral transforms, exact integral solutions for the FGM plates under impulse load are obtained. The influence of volume fraction distributions on wave propagation and dynamic response of the FGM plates is analyzed.     

Nonlinear bending analysis of FGM rectangular plates with various supported boundaries resting on two-parameter elastic foundations

In this paper, model of the FGM plates resting on two-parameter elastic foundations is put forward by using on physical neutral surface and high-order shear deformation theory. Material properties are assumed to be temperature dependent and vary along the thickness, while Poisson’s ratio depends weakly on temperature change and position and is assumed to be a constant. It is worth noting that physical neutral surface will be changed with temperature. The character of physical neutral surface higher-order shear deformation plate theory is that the displacements have special forms, stretching-bending couplings are eliminated in constitutive equations, and governing equations have the simple and similar forms as homogeneous isotropic plates. The validity of physical neutral surface higher-order shear deformation plate theory can be confirmed by comparing with related researchers’ results. Nonlinear bending approximate solutions of FGM rectangular plates with six cases of boundary conditions are given out using Ritz method, and influences played by different supported boundaries, foundation stiffnesses, thermal environmental conditions, and volume fraction index are discussed in detail.     

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.     

Mechanical behavior of functionally graded material plates under transverse load—Part I: Analysis

An elastic, rectangular, and simply supported, functionally graded material (FGM) plate of medium thickness subjected to transverse loading has been investigated. The Poisson’s ratios of the FGM plates are assumed to be constant, but their Young’s moduli vary continuously throughout the thickness direction according to the volume fraction of constituents defined by power-law, sigmoid, or exponential function. Based on the classical plate theory and Fourier series expansion, the series solutions of power-law FGM (simply called P-FGM), sigmoid FGM (S-FGM), and exponential FGM (E-FGM) plates are obtained. The analytical solutions of P-, S- and E-FGM plates are proved by the numerical results of finite element method. The closed-form solutions illustrated by Fourier series expression are given in Part I of this paper. The closed-form and finite element solutions are compared and discussed in Part II of this paper. Results reveal that the formulations of the solutions of FGM plates and homogeneous plates are similar, except the bending stiffness of plates. The bending stiffness of a homogeneous plate is Eh³/12(1 − ν²), while the expressions of the bending stiffness of FGM plates are more complicated combination of material properties.     

Free vibration of functionally graded sandwich plates using four-variable refined plate theory

This paper uses the four-variable refined plate theory (RPT) for the free vibration analysis of functionally graded material (FGM) sandwich rectangular plates. Unlike other theories, there are only four unknown functions involved, as compared to five in other shear deformation theories. The theory presented is variationally consistent and strongly similar to the classical plate theory in many aspects. It does not require the shear correction factor, and gives rise to the transverse shear stress variation so that the transverse shear stresses vary parabolically across the thickness to satisfy free surface conditions for the shear stress. Two common types of FGM sandwich plates are considered, namely, the sandwich with the FGM facesheet and the homogeneous core and the sandwich with the homogeneous facesheet and the FGM core. The equation of motion for the FGM sandwich plates is obtained based on Hamilton’s principle. The closed form solutions are obtained by using the Navier technique. The fundamental frequencies are found by solving the eigenvalue problems. The validity of the theory is shown by comparing the present results with those of the classical, the first-order, and the other higher-order theories. The proposed theory is accurate and simple in solving the free vibration behavior of the FGM sandwich plates.     

弹性地基上多孔功能梯度材料矩形板的自由振动与临界屈曲载荷分析

多孔功能梯度材料(FGM)构件的特性与孔隙率和孔隙分布形式有密切关系。本文基于经典板理论,考虑不同孔隙分布形式时修正的混合率模型,研究Winkler弹性地基上四边受压多孔FGM矩形板的自由振动与临界屈曲载荷特性。首先利用Hamilton原理和物理中面的定义推导Winkler弹性地基上四边受压多孔FGM矩形板自由振动的控制微分方程并进行无量纲化,然后应用微分变换法(DTM)对无量纲控制微分方程和边界条件进行变换,得到计算无量纲固有频率和临界屈曲载荷的代数特征方程。将问题退化为孔隙率为零时的FGM矩形板并与已有文献进行对比以验证其有效性。最后计算并分析了梯度指数、孔隙率、地基刚度系数、长宽比、四边受压载荷及边界条件对多孔FGM矩形板无量纲固有频率的影响以及各参数对无量纲临界屈曲载荷的影响。     

Mechanical behavior of functionally graded material plates under transverse load—Part II: Numerical results

The formulations of the complete solutions to the rectangular simply supported plates with power-law, sigmoid, and exponential FGMs have been derived in Part I. In this part, we focus on the numerical solutions evaluated directly from theoretical formulations and calculated by finite element method using MARC program. The effects of loading conditions, the change of Poisson’s ratio, and the aspect ratio on the mechanical behavior of an FGM plate are discussed. Besides, a comparison of the results of P-FGM, S-FGM, and E-FGM is investigated.     

Corner stress singularities in an FGM thin plate

Describing the behaviors of stress singularities correctly is essential for obtaining accurate numerical solutions of complicated problems with stress singularities. This analysis derives asymptotic solutions for functionally graded material (FGM) thin plates with geometrically induced stress singularities. The classical thin plate theory is used to establish the equilibrium equations for FGM thin plates. It is assumed that the Young’s modulus varies along the thickness and Poisson’s ratio is constant. The eigenfunction expansion method is employed to the equilibrium equations in terms of displacement components for an asymptotic analysis in the vicinity of a sharp corner. The characteristic equations for determining the stress singularity order at the corner vertex and the corresponding corner functions are explicitly given for different combinations of boundary conditions along the radial edges forming the sharp corner. The non-homogeneous elasticity properties are present only in the characteristic equations corresponding to boundary conditions involving simple support. Finally, the effects of material non-homogeneity following a power law on the stress singularity orders are thoroughly examined by showing the minimum real values of the roots of the characteristic equations varying with the material properties and vertex angle.     

Higher-order crack tip fields for functionally graded material plate with transverse shear deformation

The crack tip fields are investigated for a cracked functionally graded material (FGM) plate by Reissner’s linear plate theory with the consideration of the transverse shear deformation generated by bending. The elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the functionally graded plates are assumed to vary continuously through the coordinate y, according to a linear law and a constant, respectively. The governing equations, i.e., the 6th-order partial differential equations with variable coefficients, are derived in the polar coordinate system based on Reissner’s plate theory. Furthermore, the generalized displacements are treated in a separation-of-variable form, and the higher-order crack tip fields of the cracked FGM plate are obtained by the eigen-expansion method. It is found that the analytic solutions degenerate to the corresponding fields of the isotropic homogeneous plate with Reissner’s effect when the in-homogeneity parameter approaches zero.