Dynamic geometrically nonlinear analysis of transversely compressible sandwich plates

In order to construct a plate theory for a thick transversely compressible sandwich plate with composite laminated face sheets, the authors make simplifying assumptions regarding distribution of transverse strain components in the thickness direction. The in-plane stresses and σ_yy (Fig. 1) are computed from the constitutive equations, and the improved values of transverse stress components and σ_zz need to be computed by integration of pointwise equations of motion in a post-process stage of the finite element analysis. The improved values of the transverse strains can also be computed in the post-process stage by substituting the improved transverse stresses into the constitutive relations. A problem of cylindrical bending of a simply supported plate under a uniform load on the upper surface is considered, and comparison is made between the displacements, the in-plane stress and the improved transverse stresses (obtained by integration of the pointwise equations of motion), computed from the plate theory, with the corresponding values of exact elasticity solutions. In this comparison, a good agreement of both solutions is achieved. In the finite element analysis of sandwich plates in cylindrical bending with small thickness-to-length ratios, the shear locking phenomenon does not occur. The model of a sandwich plate in cylindrical bending, presented in this paper, has a wider range of applicability than the models presented in literature so far: it can be applied to the sandwich plates with a wide range of ratios of thickness to the in-plane dimensions, with both thin and thick face sheets (as compared to the thickness of the core) and to the sandwich plates with both transversely rigid and transversely compressible face sheets and cores.     

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.     

A comprehensive analysis of functionally graded sandwich plates: Part 1—Deflection and stresses

A two-dimensional solution is presented for bending analysis of simply supported functionally graded ceramic–metal sandwich plates. The sandwich plate faces are assumed to have isotropic, two-constituent material distribution through the thickness, and the modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio of the faces are assumed to vary according to a power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The core layer is still homogeneous and made of an isotropic ceramic material. Several kinds of sandwich plates are used taking into account the symmetry of the plate and the thickness of each layer. We derive field equations for functionally graded sandwich plates whose deformations are governed by either the shear deformation theories or the classical theory. Displacement functions that identically satisfy boundary conditions are used to reduce the governing equations to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients. Numerical results of the sinusoidal, third-order, first-order and classical theories are presented to show the effect of material distribution on the deflections and stresses.     

Two new refined shear displacement models for functionally graded sandwich plates

Two refined displacement models, RSDT1 and RSDT2, are developed for a bending analysis of functionally graded sandwich plates. Unlike any other theory, the number of unknown functions involved is only four, as against five in case of other shear deformation theories. The developed models are variationally consistent, have strong similarity with classical plate theory in many aspects, do not require shear correction factor, and give rise to transverse shear stress variation such that the transverse shear stresses vary parabolically across the thickness satisfying shear stress-free surface conditions. The accuracy of the analysis presented is demonstrated by comparing the results with solutions derived from other higher-order models. The functionally graded layers are assumed to have isotropic, two-constituent material distribution through the thickness, and the modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s ratio of the faces, and thermal expansion coefficients are assumed to vary according to a power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The core layer is still homogeneous and made of an isotropic ceramic material. Numerical results for deflections and stresses of functionally graded metal–ceramic plates are investigated. It can be concluded that the proposed models are accurate and simple in solving the bending behavior of functionally graded plates.     

热环境下功能梯度夹层双曲壳三维自由振动分析

功能梯度夹层双曲壳结构广泛应用在航空航天、海洋工程等领域中,对于该类结构的动力学特性研究非常重要。本文以热环境下功能梯度夹层双曲壳为研究对象,在三阶剪切变形理论的基础上,考虑横向拉伸作用的影响提出了一种新的位移场,假设材料的物性参数与温度有关,且沿厚度方向表示为幂律函数。利用Hamilton原理得到简支边界条件下功能梯度夹层双曲壳三维振动系统动力学方程,利用Navier法求得两种不同夹层类型的系统固有频率。研究了几何物理参数和温度场对功能梯度夹层双曲壳自由振动固有频率的影响。     

考虑尺度效应的夹层楔形多孔梁动力学分析

基于修正偶应力理论, 研究了具有大范围旋转中心刚体-功能梯度夹层Euler-Bernoulli楔形多孔柔性微梁系统的动力学特性.楔形梁是中间层为不完全功能梯度层, 两表层为均质材料的功能梯度夹层结构, 它可以减小传统夹层结构由于层与层之间材料属性的不同导致脱粘类型损伤的影响.采用假设模态法描述变形, 考虑具有捕捉动力刚化效应的非线性耦合项, 计及von Kármán几何非线性应变, 运用第二类Lagrange方程, 导出了适用于较大变形的高次刚柔耦合动力学方程.对在平面内做大范围运动的中心刚体-功能梯度夹层Euler-Bernoulli楔形多孔微梁的动力学特性进行了详细研究.研究表明: 功能梯度夹层楔形梁表层结构高度、旋转角速度、功能梯度幂指数、尺度参数、孔隙度以及各层结构的体积分数对系统的动力学特性都有很大的影响; 功能梯度夹层楔形梁综合了功能梯度直梁和楔形梁的特性, 其相对于功能梯度直梁的固有频率增大, 同时使得孔隙度对结构固有频率变化趋势的影响不再与功能梯度直梁相同; 由于柔性梁变形能中具有横向与轴向的耦合势能, 系统在稳态下的平衡位置发生了迁移现象; 系统随着尺度参数的变化发生了频率转向与振型转换.      

功能梯度中厚圆/环板轴对称弯曲问题的解析解

基于一阶剪切变形板理论，导出了热/机载荷作用下，位移形式的功能梯度 中厚圆/环板轴对称弯曲问题的控制方程，获得了问题的位移和内力的一般解析解. 作为特 例，分别研究了边缘径向固定和可动的夹紧和简支的4种实心功能梯度圆板，给出了它们的 解，并分析了热/机载荷作用下解的形态，讨论了横向剪切变形、材料梯度常数和边界条件， 对板的轴对称弯曲行为的影响.     

Analytical solutions for single- and multi-span functionally graded plates in cylindrical bending

A recently developed plate theory using the concept of shape function of the transverse coordinate parameter is extended to determine the stress distribution in an orthotropic functionally graded plate subjected to cylindrical bending. The transfer matrix method is presented to derive the shape function. The equations governing the plate deformation are then solved analytically using the transfer matrix method for arbitrary boundary conditions. For a simply supported functionally graded plate, a comparison of the present solution with the exact elasticity solution, the first- and third-order shear deformation plate theories is presented and discussed. It is demonstrated that the present method yields more accurate stresses than the first- and third-order shear deformation theories. The effect of boundary conditions and inhomogeneity of material on the displacements and stresses in functionally graded plates are investigated. A multi-span functionally graded plate with arbitrary boundary conditions is further considered to demonstrate the efficiency of the present method.     

A Shear-Corrected Formulation for the Sandwich Twist Specimen

The sandwich plate twist test method involves torsion loading of a panel by application of concentrated loads at two diagonally opposite corners and supporting the panel at the other two corners. Compliance measured in this test can be used to extract the shear moduli of monolithic, composite and sandwich plates, and it may also be employed for determination of the twist stiffness, D ₆₆ . Previous studies of the plate twist specimen have shown that classical laminated plate theory does not adequately predict the compliance of sandwich panels with a low density/modulus core, as a result of transverse shear deformation. This work proposes a “shear-corrected” model for accurate prediction of the plate twist compliance by incorporation of the transverse shear stiffnesses of the core. This model was used to extract the transverse shear modulus of a range of low density PVC foam cores from the measured panel twist compliance. Good agreement with published PVC foam core shear modulus values was obtained.     

An efficient and simple refined theory for nonlinear bending analysis of functionally graded sandwich plates

In this paper, an efficient and simple refined theory is presented for nonlinear bending analysis of functionally graded sandwich plates. The theory presented is variationally consistent, does not require the shear correction factor, and gives rise to transverse shear stress variations such that the transverse shear stresses vary parabolically across the plate thickness, satisfying shear-stress-free surface conditions. The energy concept along with the present theory and the first- and third-order shear deformation theories is used to predict the large deflection and the stress distribution across the thickness of functionally graded sandwich plates.     

Three-dimensional elasticity solution for bending of transversely isotropic functionally graded plates

This paper presents a three-dimensional elasticity solution for a simply supported, transversely isotropic functionally graded plate subjected to transverse loading, with Young’s moduli and the shear modulus varying exponentially through the thickness and Poisson’s ratios being constant. The approach makes use of the recently developed displacement functions for inhomogeneous transversely isotropic media. Dependence of stress and displacement fields in the plate on the inhomogeneity ratio, geometry and degree of anisotropy is examined and discussed. The developed three-dimensional solution for transversely isotropic functionally graded plate is validated through comparison with the available three-dimensional solutions for isotropic functionally graded plates, as well as the classical and higher-order plate theories.     

A complete mechanical-property characterization of a single composite specimen

For a unidirectional lamina, the in-plane mechanical properties of interest areE ₁₁,E ₂₂, ν₁₂, ν₁₂ andG ₁₂. Only three of the first four listed are independent. The fourth may be calculated from the reciprocal relationshipE ₁₁ ν₂₁ =E ₂₂ ν₁₂, which results from stiffness-tensor symmetry. Measurement of any four of the five properties listed will completely characterize the in-plane mechanical properties. A longitudinal uniaxial tension test was used to evaluate longitudinal modulus and Poisson's ratio. A modified rail-shear apparatus was designed to measure shear modulus in a rail-shear orientation, as well as a totally constrained transverse modulus in a uniaxial tension test with an orientation transverse to the longest dimension of the specimen. A flexure test was also used to estimate transverse moduli, since the achievement of the totally constrained transverse-modulus measurement was impaired by the variability of load distribution and constraint across the breadth (10-in. length) of the specimen. An apparatus was designed that applied a line loading to the specimen, simply supported on two opposite sides, with the two remaining sides free. The feasibility of this technique was documented by comparing measured values of the transverse modulus and out-of-plane displacement for a [0°]₄ specimen to values obtained from the Levy solution for bending of an orthotropic plate.     

Elasticity solutions for functionally graded annular plates subject to biharmonic loads

Based on England’s expansion formula for displacements, the elastic field in a transversely isotropic functionally graded annular plate subjected to biharmonic transverse forces on its top surface is investigated using the complex variables method. The material parameters are assumed to vary along the thickness direction in an arbitrary fashion. The problem is converted to determine the expressions of four analytic functions α (ζ), β (ζ), ? (ζ) and ψ (ζ) under certain boundary conditions. A series of simple and practical biharmonic loads are presented. The four analytic functions are constructed carefully in a biconnected annular region corresponding to the presented loads, which guarantee the single-valuedness of the mid-plane displacements of the plate. The unknown constants contained in the analytic functions can be determined from the boundary conditions that are similar to those in the plane elasticity as well as those in the classical plate theory. Numerical examples show that the material gradient index and boundary conditions have a significant influence on the elastic field.     

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.     

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.     

Analytical solution of a bilayer functionally graded cantilever beam with concentrated loads

A general two-dimensional solution for a bilayer functionally graded cantilever beam with concentrated loads at the free end is developed. The beam is treated as a nonhomogeneous plane stress problem, and the elastic modulus of each graded layer varies with the thickness as an arbitrary function, respectively, which makes this analytical solution has a wider application than the solutions only considering FGMs as core materials or modeling the face sheets by Euler beam theory. It can be verified the paper’s close solution coincides with the classical one for beams while let the elastic modulus be constants. The methodology presented here could be easily extended to analyze the functionally graded sandwich beams.     

A comprehensive analysis of functionally graded sandwich plates: Part 2—Buckling and free vibration

The sinusoidal shear deformation plate theory, presented in the first part of this paper, is used to study the buckling and free vibration of the simply supported functionally graded sandwich plate. Effects of rotatory inertia are considered. The critical buckling load and the vibration natural frequency are investigated. Some available results for sandwich plates non-symmetric about the mid-plane can be retrieved from the present analysis. The influences of the transverse shear deformation, plate aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio and volume fraction distributions are studied. In addition, the effect of the core thickness, relative to the total thickness of the plate, on the critical buckling load and the eigenfrequencies is investigated.     

Three-dimensional analytical elasticity solution for loaded functionally graded coated half-space

In the present paper, a three-dimensional problem of elasticity of normal and tangential loading of surface of the functionally graded coated half-space is considered. In case when Poisson's ratio is constant and the Young's modulus is a power or exponential function of the distance from the surface of the half-space, analytical solution using Fourier transform is obtained. Stress field due to Hertz contact pressure in an elliptical region are studied as a function of the parameter b/a (where a and b are axes of the contact ellipse) and coating thickness.     

Elasticity solutions for a transversely isotropic functionally graded circular plate subject to an axisymmetric transverse load qrk

This paper considers the bending of transversely isotropic circular plates with elastic compliance coefficients being arbitrary functions of the thickness coordinate, subject to a transverse load in the form of qr^k (k is zero or a finite even number). The differential equations satisfied by stress functions for the particular problem are derived. An elaborate analysis procedure is then presented to derive these stress functions, from which the analytical expressions for the axial force, bending moment and displacements are obtained through integration. The method is then applied to the problem of transversely isotropic functionally graded circular plate subject to a uniform load, illustrating the procedure to determine the integral constants from the boundary conditions. Analytical elasticity solutions are presented for simply-supported and clamped plates, and, when degenerated, they coincide with the available solutions for an isotropic homogenous plate. Two numerical examples are finally presented to show the effect of material inhomogeneity on the elastic field in FGM plates.     

Bending analysis of thin functionally graded plates using generalized differential quadrature method

In this paper, the differential quadrature (DQ) method is presented for easy and effective analysis of isotropic functionally graded (FG) and functionally graded coated (FGC) thin plates with constant Poisson’s ratio and varying Young’s modulus in the thickness direction. The bending of FG and FGC plates under transverse loading has been studied using the polynomial differential quadrature (PDQ) and the harmonic differential quadrature (HDQ) methods. A three-dimensional elasticity solution for a moderately thick FG plate with exponential Young’s modulus is used as the benchmark. Two examples, including a thin FG rectangular plate and a thin FGC rectangular plate with sigmoidal Young’s modulus, are investigated. The numerical results of PDQ and HDQ methods reveal good agreement with other solutions. Also, it is shown that the formulations for thin FG plates and homogeneous plates are similar, except that the plane strain components of the middle surface in FG plates are not zero.