Bending of thick functionally graded plates resting on Winkler–Pasternak elastic foundations

The static response of simply supported functionally graded plates (FGP) subjected to a transverse uniform load (UL) or a sinusoidally distributed load (SL) and resting on an elastic foundation is examined by using a new hyperbolic displacement model. The present theory exactly satisfies the stress boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. No transverse shear correction factors are needed, because a correct representation of the transverse shear strain is given. The material properties of the plate are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power-law distribution in terms of volume fractions of material constituents. The foundation is modeled as a two-parameter Pasternak-type foundation, or as a Winkler-type one if the second parameter is zero. The equilibrium equations of a functionally graded plate are given based on the hyperbolic shear deformation theory of plates presented. The effects of stiffness and gradient index of the foundation on the mechanical responses of the plates are discussed. It is established that the elastic foundations significantly affect the mechanical behavior of thick functionally graded plates. The numerical results presented in the paper can serve as benchmarks for future analyses of thick functionally graded plates on elastic foundations.     

Free vibration of functionally graded rectangular plates using first-order shear deformation plate theory

The main objective of this research work is to present analytical solutions for free vibration analysis of moderately thick rectangular plates, which are composed of functionally graded materials (FGMs) and supported by either Winkler or Pasternak elastic foundations. The proposed rectangular plates have two opposite edges simply-supported, while all possible combinations of free, simply-supported and clamped boundary conditions are applied to the other two edges. In order to capture fundamental frequencies of the functionally graded (FG) rectangular plates resting on elastic foundation, the analysis procedure is based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory (FSDT) to derive and solve exactly the equations of motion. The mechanical properties of the FG plates are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness of the plate and obey a power law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents, whereas Poisson’s ratio is set to be constant. First, a new formula for the shear correction factors, used in the Mindlin plate theory, is obtained for FG plates. Then the excellent accuracy of the present analytical solutions is confirmed by making some comparisons of the results with those available in literature. The effect of foundation stiffness parameters on the free vibration of the FG plates, constrained by different combinations of classical boundary conditions, is also presented for various values of aspect ratios, gradient indices, and thickness to length ratios.     

Levy-type solution for buckling analysis of thick functionally graded rectangular plates based on the higher-order shear deformation plate theory

In this article, an analytical approach for buckling analysis of thick functionally graded rectangular plates is presented. The equilibrium and stability equations are derived according to the higher-order shear deformation plate theory. Introducing an analytical method, the coupled governing stability equations of functionally graded plate are converted into two uncoupled partial differential equations in terms of transverse displacement and a new function, called boundary layer function. Using Levy-type solution these equations are solved for the functionally graded rectangular plate with two opposite edges simply supported under different types of loading conditions. The excellent accuracy of the present analytical solution is confirmed by making some comparisons of the present results with those available in the literature. Furthermore, the effects of power of functionally graded material, plate thickness, aspect ratio, loading types and boundary conditions on the critical buckling load of the functionally graded rectangular plate are studied and discussed in details. The critical buckling loads of thick functionally graded rectangular plates with various boundary conditions are reported for the first time and can be used as benchmark.     

Dynamic analysis of multi-directional functionally graded annular plates

Dynamic analysis of multi-directional functionally graded annular plates is achieved in this paper using a semi-analytical numerical method entitled the state space-based differential quadrature method. Based on the three-dimensional elastic theory and assuming the material properties having an exponent-law variation along the thickness, radial direction or both directions, the frequency equations of free vibration of multi-directional functionally graded annular plates are derived under various boundary conditions. Numerical examples are presented to validate the approach and the superiority of this method is also demonstrated. Then free vibration of functionally graded annular plates is studied for different variations of material properties along the thickness, radial direction and both directions, respectively. And the influences of the material property graded variations on the dynamic behavior are also investigated. The multi-directional graded material can likely be designed according to the actual requirement and it is a potential alternative to the unidirectional functionally graded material.     

Nonlinear bending analysis of FGM elliptical plates resting on two-parameter elastic foundations

Nonlinear bending analysis is first presented for functionally graded elliptical plates resting on two-parameter elastic foundations, and investigations on FGM elliptical plates with immovable simply supported edge are also new in literature. Material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent and graded in the thickness direction. The governing equations of a functionally graded plate are based on Reddy’s high-order shear deformation plate theory that includes thermal effects. Ritz method is employed to determine the central deflection-load and bending moment-load curves, the validity can be confirmed by comparison with related researchers’ results, and it is worth noting that the forms of approximate solutions are well-chosen in consideration of both simplicity and accuracy. Influences played by different supported boundaries, thermal environmental conditions, foundation stiffness, ratio of major to minor axis and volume fraction index are discussed in detail.     

On the effects of coupling between in-plane and out-of-plane vibrating modes of smart functionally graded circular/annular plates

In recent years many articles concerned with the mechanics of functionally graded plates have been published. The variation in material properties through the thickness of the plate introduces a coupling between in-plane and transverse displacements, the coupling is important in the vibration of functionally graded plates (FGPs), but none have produced an exact closed-form solution for the in-plane as well as transverse vibrations of smart circular/annular FGPs. Therefore, this paper develops an exact closed-form solution for the free vibration of piezoelectric coupled thick circular/annular FGPs subjected to different boundary conditions on the basis of the Mindlin’s first-order shear deformation theory. Through the comparison of present results with those available, the accuracy of the present method was verified. The effects of coupling between in-plane and transverse displacements on the frequency parameters are proved to be significant. It is concluded that the developed model can describe vibrational behavior of smart FGM plates more realistic. Due to the inherent features of the present solution, all findings will be a useful benchmark for evaluating other analytical and numerical methods developed by researchers in the future.     

功能梯度板的柱面弯曲弹性力学解

在推广后的England-Spencer功能梯度板理论基础上,研究了功能梯度板在不同荷载作用下的柱面弯曲问题.采用该理论中的位移展开公式,并且材料参数沿板厚方向可以任意连续变化,并将材料由各向同性推广到正交各向异性.假设板在y方向无限长,最终建立了一个从弹性力学理论出发的正交各向异性功能梯度板在横向分布荷载作用下柱面弯曲问题的板理论.通过算例分析,讨论了边界条件、材料梯度及板厚跨比等因素对功能梯度板静力响应的影响.     

Elasticity Solutions for Cylindrical Bending of Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Material Plates北大核心CSCD

功能梯度压电材料（FGPM）同时兼具功能梯度材料和压电材料特性,可为多功能或智能化轻质结构设计提供支撑,在诸多领域有着广泛的应用前景.将Mian和Spencer功能梯度板理论由功能梯度弹性材料推广到功能梯度压电材料,解析研究了FGPM板的柱面弯曲问题,其中,材料弹性常数、压电和介电参数沿板厚方向可以任意连续变化.最终,给出了FGPM板受横向均布荷载作用下柱面弯曲问题的弹性力学解.通过算例分析,重点讨论了压电效应对FGPM板静力响应的影响.     

An efficient and simple refined theory for buckling analysis of functionally graded plates

In this paper, an efficient and simple refined theory is presented for buckling analysis of functionally graded plates. The theory, which has strong similarity with classical plate theory in many aspects, accounts for a quadratic variation of the transverse shear strains across the thickness and satisfies the zero traction boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate without using shear correction factors. The mechanical properties of functionally graded material are assumed to vary according to a power law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. Governing equations are derived from the principle of minimum total potential energy. The closed-form solutions of rectangular plates are obtained. Comparison studies are performed to verify the validity of present results. The effects of loading conditions and variations of power of functionally graded material, modulus ratio, aspect ratio, and thickness ratio on the critical buckling load of functionally graded plates are investigated and discussed.     

Three-dimensional layerwise-finite element free vibration analysis of thick laminated annular plates on elastic foundation

Using a three-dimensional layerwise-finite element method, the free vibration of thick laminated circular and annular plates supported on the elastic foundation is studied. The Pasternak-type formulation is employed to model the interaction between the plate and the elastic foundation. The discretized governing equations are derived using the Hamilton’s principle in conjunction with the layerwise theory in the thickness direction, the finite element (FE) in the radial direction and trigonometric function in the circumferential direction, respectively. The fast rate of convergence of the method is demonstrated and to verify its accuracy, comparison studies with the available solutions in the literature are performed. The effects of the geometrical parameters, the material properties and the elastic foundation parameters on the natural frequency parameters of the laminated thick circular and annular plates subjected to various boundary conditions are presented.     

Bending analysis of size-dependent functionally graded annular sector microplates based on the modified couple stress theory

In the present paper, a non-classical model for functionally graded annular sector microplates under distributed transverse loading is developed based on the modified couple stress theory and the first-order shear deformation plate theory. The model contains a single material length scale parameter which can capture the size effect. The material properties are graded through the thickness of plates according to a power-law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. The equilibrium equations and boundary conditions are simultaneously derived from the principle of minimum total potential energy. The system of equilibrium equations is then solved using the generalized differential quadrature method. The effects of length scale parameter, power-law index and geometrical parameters on the bending response of annular sector plates subjected to distributed transverse loading are investigated.     

3-D thermo-elastic solution for continuously graded isotropic and fiber-reinforced cylindrical shells resting on two-parameter elastic foundations

This paper investigates the three-dimensional thermo-elastic deformation of cylindrical shells on two-parameter elastic foundations with continuously graded of volume fraction, subjected to thermal load. Suitable temperature and displacement functions that identically satisfy boundary conditions at the edges are used to reduce the equilibrium equations to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients, which are solved by Generalized Differential Quadrature (GDQ) method. Results are presented for two-constituent isotropic and fiber-reinforced functionally graded cylindrical shells that have a smooth variation of volume fractions through the radial direction. Symmetric and asymmetric volume fraction profiles are presented in this paper. The fast rate of convergence of the method is demonstrated and comparison studies are carried out to establish its very high accuracy and versatility. Effects of stiffness of the foundation and variations of different parameters of generalized power-law distribution on steady-state responses of the functionally graded cylindrical shell resting on elastic foundation are discussed. In addition, the effects of the FGM configuration are studied by considering the mechanical entities of different FGM fiber-reinforced cylindrical shells resting on elastic foundation. Some results are presented for the first time and some important conclusions are drawn.     

面内功能梯度三角形板等几何面内振动分析

基于平面应变理论,利用等几何有限元方法分析了弹性边界条件下面内功能梯度三角形板的面内振动特性.板的材料属性沿厚度方向呈均匀分布,而在面内方向呈任意指数梯度变化.采用非均匀有理B样条(NURBS)基函数对三角形结构进行等几何建模和位移描述,实现了三角形板几何设计和振动分析的无缝衔接.在三角形板边界上引入虚拟弹簧约束并通过调节虚拟弹簧刚度,实现任意边界条件的施加.通过不同的单元细化方案和对比算例,验证了等几何方法的灵活性、准确性和快速收敛性.系统研究了边界条件、材料属性和几何参数对三角形板振动特性的影响.同时给出了弹性边界条件下面内功能梯度三角形板的振动特性解,具有重要参考价值.     

Free vibration of four-parameter functionally graded moderately thick doubly-curved panels and shells of revolution with general boundary conditions

This paper aims to present a unified vibration analysis approach for the four-parameter functionally graded moderately thick doubly-curved shells and panels of revolution with general boundary conditions. The first-order shear deformation theory is used in this formulation. The functionally graded panels structures consists of ceramic and metal which are set to vary continuously in the thickness direction according to the general four-parameter power-law distribution, and six types of power-law distributions are considered for the ceramic volume fraction. The admissible function of the FG panels and shells of revolution is obtained by the improved Fourier series with the help of the governing equations and the boundary conditions. The solution is obtained by using the variational operation in terms of the unknown expanded coefficients. By a great many numerical examples, the rapid convergence and good reliability and accuracy of the proposed approach are validated. A variety of new results for vibration problems of the FG doubly-curved shells and panels with different elastic restraints, geometric and material parameters are presented. The effects of the elastic restraint parameters, power-law exponent, circumference angle and power-law distributions on the free vibration characteristic of the panels are also presented, which can be served as benchmark data in the research and the actual production process.     

3D nonlinear variable strain-rate-dependent-order fractional thermoviscoelastic dynamic stress investigation and vibration of thick transversely graded rotating annular plates/discs

In the present article, the idea of using the variable-order fractional-derivative thermoviscoelastic constitutive laws in dynamic stress and vibration analysis of the engineering structures, the required implementation backgrounds, and the relevant numerical solution procedures are investigated for the first time. In this regard, dynamic 3D stress and displacement fields and radial/transverse vibrations of transversely graded viscoelastic spinning thick plates/discs exposed to sudden thermoelastic loads are investigated. Instead of using the approximate plate theories, the exact thermoviscoelasticity theory is employed in the development of the governing equations. Since the variable fractional order is dependent on the localized deformation rates, the resulting thermoviscoelastic integro-differential equations are nonlinear. These equations are solved by utilizing a combination of the second-order backward/central/forward finite difference discretization of the spatial and time domains, numerical evaluation and updating of the Caputo-type fractional derivatives, updating the growing number of terms of the governing equations, and Picard's iterations. Various edge conditions are considered. Finally, comprehensive sensitivity analyses and various 3D plots are presented and discussed regarding the effects of the variable fractional order of the constitutive law, time variations of the nonuniformly distributed transverse loads, and edge conditions on the distributions and damping of the resulting displacement and stress components.     

Elasticity solutions for functionally graded rectangular plates with two opposite edges simply supported

England (2006) [13] proposed a novel method to study the bending of isotropic functionally graded plates subject to transverse biharmonic loads. His method is extended here to functionally graded plates with materials characterizing transverse isotropy. Using the complex variable method, the governing equations of three plate displacements appearing in the expansions of displacement field are formulated based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity for a transverse load satisfying the biharmonic equation. The solution may be expressed in terms of four analytic functions of the complex variable, in which the unknown constants can be determined from the boundary conditions similar to that in the classical plate theory. The elasticity solutions of an FGM rectangular plate with opposite edges simply supported under 12 types of biharmonic polynomial loads are derived as appropriate sums of the general and particular solutions of the governing equations. A comparison of the present results for a uniform load with existing solutions is made and good agreement is observed. The influence of boundary conditions, material inhomogeneity, and thickness to length ratio on the plate deflection and stresses for the load x²yq are studied numerically.     

Nonlinear free vibration analysis of SSMFG cylindrical shells resting on nonlinear viscoelastic foundation in thermal environment

In this paper, a semi-analytical method for the free vibration behavior of spiral stiffened multilayer functionally graded (SSMFG) cylindrical shells under the thermal environment is investigated. The distribution of linear and uniform temperature along the direction of thickness is assumed. The structure is embedded within a generalized nonlinear viscoelastic foundation, which is composed of a two-parameter Winkler-Pasternak foundation augmented by a Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic model with a nonlinear cubic stiffness. The cylindrical shell has three layers consist of ceramic, FGM, and metal in two cases. In the first model i.e. Ceramic-FGM-Metal (CFM), the exterior layer of the cylindrical shell is rich ceramic while the interior layer is rich metal and the functionally graded material is located between these layers and the material distribution is in reverse order in the second model i.e. Metal-FGM-Ceramic (MFC). The material constitutive of the stiffeners is continuously changed through the thickness. Using the Galerkin method based on the von Kármán equations and the smeared stiffeners technique, the problem of nonlinear vibration has been solved. In order to find the nonlinear vibration responses, the fourth order Runge–Kutta method is utilized. The results show that the different angles of stiffeners and nonlinear elastic foundation parameters have a strong effect on the vibration behaviors of the SSMFG cylindrical shells. Also, the results illustrate that the vibration amplitude and the natural frequency for CFM and MFC shells with the first longitudinal and third transversal modes (m = 1, n = 3) with the stiffeners angle θ = 30°, β = 60° and θ = β = 30° is less than and more than others, respectively.     

Nonlinear response of shear deformable FGM curved panels resting on elastic foundations and subjected to mechanical and thermal loading conditions

This paper presents an analytical investigation on the nonlinear response of thick functionally graded doubly curved shallow panels resting on elastic foundations and subjected to some conditions of mechanical, thermal, and thermomechanical loads. Material properties are assumed to be temperature independent, and graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of constituents. The formulations are based on higher order shear deformation shell theory taking into account geometrical nonlinearity, initial geometrical imperfection and Pasternak type elastic foundation. By applying Galerkin method, explicit relations of load-deflection curves for simply supported curved panels are determined. Effects of material and geometrical properties, in-plane boundary restraint, foundation stiffness and imperfection on the buckling and postbuckling loading capacity of the panels are analyzed and discussed. The novelty of this study results from accounting for higher order transverse shear deformation and panel-foundation interaction in analyzing nonlinear stability of thick functionally graded cylindrical and spherical panels.     

Thermal vibration analysis of functionally graded shallow spherical caps by introducing a decoupling analytical approach

Due to many applications of spherical shells on a circular planform such as the nose of the plane and spacecraft and caps of pressurized cylindrical tanks, in this article, free vibration analysis of a thin functionally graded shallow spherical cap under a thermal load is considered. A decoupling technique is employed to analytically solve the equations of motion. Introducing some new auxiliary and potential functions as well as using the separation method of variables, the governing equations of the vibrated functionally graded shallow spherical cap were exactly solved. The superiority of the relations is validated by some comparative studies for various types of boundary conditions. Also, thermal buckling phenomenon is considered. Using new different material models, efficiency of the functionally graded materials is investigated when the shell is subjected to a temperature gradient. The effects of various parameters such as radius of curvature, material grading index and thermal gradient are discussed.     

3D elasticity analytical solution for bending of FG micro/nanoplates resting on elastic foundation using modified couple stress theory

This paper addresses a 3D elasticity analytical solution for static deformation of a simply-supported rectangular micro/nanoplate made of both homogeneous and functionally graded (FG) material within the framework of modified couple stress theory. The plate is assumed to be resting on a Winkler–Pasternak elastic foundation, and its modulus of elasticity is assumed to vary exponentially along thickness. By expanding displacement components in double Fourier series along in-plane coordinates and imposing relevant boundary conditions, the boundary value problem (BVP) of plate system, including its governing partial differential equations (PDEs) of equilibrium are reduced to BVP consisting only ordinary ones (ODEs). Parametric studies are conducted among displacement and stress components developed in the plate and FG material gradient index, length scale parameter, and foundation stiffnesses. From the numerical results, it is concluded that the out-of-plane shear stresses are not necessarily zero at the top and bottom surfaces of plate. The results of this investigation may serve as a benchmark to verify further bending analyses of either homogeneous or FG micro/nanoplates on elastic foundation.