A Green's function approach to the deflection of a FGM plate under transient thermal loading

Summary  Green's function approach is adopted for analyzing the deflection and the transient temperature distribution of a plate made of functionally graded materials (FGMs). The governing equations for the deflection and the transient temperature are formulated into eigenvalue problems by using the eigenfunction expansion theory. Green's functions for solving the deflection and the transient temperature are obtained by using the Galerkin method and the laminate theory, respectively. The eigenfunctions of Green's function for the deflection are approximated in terms of a series of admissible functions that satisfy the homogeneous boundary conditions of the plate. The eigenfunctions of Green's function for the temperature are determined from the continuity conditions of the temperature and the heat flux at interfaces. Received 9 October 2000; accepted for publication 3 April 2001