Geometric nonlinear analyses of functionally graded beams using a tailored Lagrangian formulation

This paper presents a geometric nonlinear analysis formulation for beams of functionally graded cross-sections by means of a Total Lagrangian formulation. The influence of material gradation on the numerical response is investigated in detail. Two examples are given that illustrate the main features of the formulation, in which the behavior of beams of graded cross-sections is compared with homogeneous material beams. A motivation for this work is the potential development of functionally graded risers for the offshore oil exploration industry.     

A finite element formulation for analysis of functionally graded plates and shells

Summary A finite element formulation is derived for the thermoelastic analysis of functionally graded (FG) plates and shells. The power-law distribution model is assumed for the composition of the constitutent materials in the thickness direction. The procedure adopted to derive the finite element formulation contains the analytical through-the-thickness integration inherently. Such formulation accounts for the large gradient of the material properties of FG plates and shells through the thickness without using the Gauss points in the thickness direction. The explicit through-the-thickness integration becomes possible due to the proper decomposition of the material properties into the product of a scalar variable and a constant matrix through the thickness. The nonlinear heat-transfer equation is solved for thermal distribution through the thickness by the Rayleigh-Ritz method. According to the results, the formulation accounts for the nonlinear variation in the stress components through the thickness especially for regions with a variation in martial propperties near the free surfaces.     

Aerothermoelastic behavior of supersonic rotating thin-walled beams made of functionally graded materials

In this study, a thin-walled beam made of functionally graded material (FGM) which is used as rotating blades in turbomachinery under aerothermoelastic loading is investigated. The governing equations, which are based on first-order shear deformation theory, include the effects of the presetting angle, the secondary warping, temperature gradient through the wall thickness of the beam and also the rotational speed. Moreover, quasi-steady aerodynamic pressure loadings are determined using first-order piston theory, and steady beam surface temperature is obtained from gas dynamics theory. Then, the blade partial differential equations are transformed into a set of ordinary differential equations using the extended Galerkin method. Finally, having solved the resulting structural–fluid–thermal eigenvalue system of equations, the effects of Mach number and geometric parameters on natural frequencies are presented. The results demonstrate that the natural frequencies decrease under aerothermoelastic loading at high Mach numbers.     

A mode III crack in functionally graded piezoelectric materials

This paper considers the mode III crack problem in functionally graded piezoelectric materials. The mechanical and the electrical properties of the medium are considered for a class of functional forms for which the equilibrium equations have an analytical solution. The problem is solved by means of singular integral equation technique. Both a single crack and a series of collinear cracks are investigated. The results are plotted to show the effect of the material inhomogeneity on the stress and the electric displacement intensity factors.     

Recursive geometric integrators for wave propagation in a functionally graded multilayered elastic medium

The differential equations governing transfer and stiffness matrices and acoustic impedance for a functionally graded generally anisotropic magneto-electro-elastic medium have been obtained. It is shown that the transfer matrix satisfies a linear 1st order matrix differential equation, while the stiffness matrix satisfies a nonlinear Riccati equation. For a thin nonhomogeneous layer, approximate solutions with different levels of accuracy have been formulated in the form of a transfer matrix using a geometrical integration in the form of a Magnus expansion. This integration method preserves qualitative features of the exact solution of the differential equation, in particular energy conservation. The wave propagation solution for a thick layer or a multilayered structure of inhomogeneous layers is obtained recursively from the thin layer solutions. Since the transfer matrix solution becomes computationally unstable with increase of frequency or layer thickness, we reformulate the solution in the form of a stable stiffness-matrix solution which is obtained from the relation of the stiffness matrices to the transfer matrices. Using an efficient recursive algorithm, the stiffness matrices of the thin nonhomogeneous layer are combined to obtain the total stiffness matrix for an arbitrary functionally graded multilayered system. It is shown that the round-off error for the stiffness-matrix recursive algorithm is higher than that for the transfer matrices. To optimize the recursive procedure, a computationally stable hybrid method is proposed which first starts the recursive computation with the transfer matrices and then, as the thickness increases, transits to the stiffness matrix recursive algorithm. Numerical results show this solution to be stable and efficient. As an application example, we calculate the surface wave velocity dispersion for a functionally graded coating on a semispace.     

Frictionless contact of a functionally graded magneto-electro-elastic layered half-plane under a conducting punch

This paper investigates the two-dimensional frictionless contact problem of a functionally graded magneto-electro-elastic materials (FGMEEMs) layered half-plane under a rigid flat or a cylindrical punch. It is assumed that the punch is a perfect electro-magnetic conductor with a constant electric potential and a constant magnetic potential. The magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) properties of the FGMEEM layer vary exponentially along the thickness direction. Using the Fourier transform technique, the contact problem can be reduced to Cauchy singular integral equations, which are then solved numerically to determine the normal contact stress, electric displacement and magnetic induction on the contact surface. Numerical results show that the gradient index, punch geometry and magneto-electro-mechanical loads have a significant effect on the contact behavior of FGMEEMs.     

Geometric nonlinear dynamic analysis of curved beams using curved beam element

Instead of using the previous straight beam element to approximate the curved beam,in this paper,a curvilinear coordinate is employed to describe the deformations,and a new curved beam element is proposed to model the curved beam.Based on exact nonlinear strain-displacement relation,virtual work principle is used to derive dynamic equations for a rotating curved beam,with the effects of axial extensibility,shear deformation and rotary inertia taken into account.The constant matrices are solved numerically utilizing the Gauss quadrature integration method.Newmark and Newton-Raphson iteration methods are adopted to solve the differential equations of the rigid-flexible coupling system.The present results are compared with those obtained by commercial programs to validate the present finite method.In order to further illustrate the convergence and efficiency characteristics of the present modeling and computation formulation,comparison of the results of the present formulation with those of the ADAMS software are made.Furthermore,the present results obtained from linear formulation are compared with those from nonlinear formulation,and the special dynamic characteristics of the curved beam are concluded by comparison with those of the straight beam.     

Evaluation of strongly singular domain integrals for internal stresses in functionally graded materials analyses using RIBEM

An accurate evaluation of strongly singular domain integral appearing in the stress representation formula is a crucial problem in the stress analysis of functionally graded materials using boundary element method.To solve this problem,a singularity separation technique is presented in the paper to split the singular integral into regular and singular parts by subtracting and adding a singular term.The singular domain integral is transformed into a boundary integral using the radial integration method.Analytical expressions of the radial integrals are obtained for two commonly used shear moduli varying with spatial coordinates.The regular domain integral,after expressing the displacements in terms of the radial basis functions,is also transformed to the boundary using the radial integration method.Finally,a boundary element method without internal cells is established for computing the stresses at internal nodes of the functionally graded materials with varying shear modulus.     

Thermoelastic contact instability of a functionally graded layer and a homogeneous half-plane

The conductive heat transfer between two elastic bodies in the static contact can cause the system to be unstable due to the interaction between the thermoelastic distortion and pressure-dependent thermal contact resistance. This paper investigates the thermoelastic contact instability of a functionally graded material (FGM) layer and a homogeneous half-plane using the perturbation method. The FGM layer and half-plane are exposed to a uniform heat flux and are pressed together by a uniform pressure. The material properties of the FGM layer vary exponentially along the thickness direction. The characteristic equation governing the thermoelastic stability behavior is obtained to determine the stability boundary. The effects of the gradient index, layer thickness and material combination on the critical heat flux are discussed in detail through a parametric study. Results indicate that the thermoelastic stability behavior can be modified by adjusting the gradient index of the FGM layer.     

The interaction of two parallel Mode-I limited-permeable cracks in a functionally graded piezoelectric material

In this paper, the interaction of two parallel Mode-I limited-permeable cracks in a functionally graded piezoelectric material was investigated by using the generalized Almansi's theorem. In the analysis, the electric permittivity of the air inside the crack was considered. The problem was formulated through Fourier transform into two pairs of dual integral equations, in which unknown variables are jumps of displacements across the crack surface. To solve the dual integral equations, the jumps of displacements across the crack surfaces were directly expanded as a series of Jacobi polynomials. The solution of the present paper shows that the singular stresses and the singular electric displacements at the crack tips in functionally graded piezoelectric materials carry the same forms as those in homogeneous piezoelectric materials; however, the magnitudes of intensity factors depend on the electric permittivity of the air inside the crack and the gradient parameter of functionally graded piezoelectric material properties. It was also revealed that the crack shielding effect is also present in functionally graded piezoelectric materials.     

Love waves in functionally graded piezoelectric materials

To investigate the features of Love waves in a layered functionally graded piezoelectric structure, the mathematical model is established on the basis of the elastic wave theory, and the WKB method is applied to solve the coupled electromechanical field differential equation. The solutions of the mechanical displacement and electrical potential function are obtained for the piezoelectric layer and elastic substrate. The dispersion relations of Love waves are deduced for electric open and short cases on the free surface respectively. The actual piezoelectric layer–elastic substrate systems are taken into account, and some corresponding numerical examples are proposed comparatively. Thus, the effects of the gradient variation about material constants on the phase velocity, the group velocity, the coupled electromechanical factor and the cutoff frequency are discussed in detail. So the propagation behaviors of Love waves in inhomogeneous medium is revealed, and the dispersion and the anti-dispersion are analyzed. The conclusions are significant both theoretically and practically for the surface acoustic wave devices.     

Non-linear axisymmetric response of functionally graded shallow spherical shells under uniform external pressure including temperature effects

This paper presents an analytical approach to investigate the non-linear axisymmetric response of functionally graded shallow spherical shells subjected to uniform external pressure incorporating the effects of temperature. 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. Equilibrium and compatibility equations for shallow spherical shells are derived by using the classical shell theory and specialized for axisymmetric deformation with both geometrical non-linearity and initial geometrical imperfection are taken into consideration. One-term deflection mode is assumed and explicit expressions of buckling loads and load-deflection curves are determined due to Galerkin method. Stability analysis for a clamped spherical shell shows the effects of material and geometric parameters, edge restraint and temperature conditions, and imperfection on the behavior of the shells.     

Cohesive modeling of low-velocity impact damage in layered functionally graded beams

Numerical analysis of the low-velocity impact damage of a layered composite beam with a functionally graded core is performed using the multiple-isoparametric cohesive volume finite element (MCVFE) scheme. A mixed-mode intrinsic cohesive zone model is used to simulate the spontaneous damage initiation and growth in this work. The inhomogeneous Young’s modulus variation is assumed to be symmetric about the neutral plane. Our parametric simulations showed that the energetics of damage is altered by the presence of a functionally graded core. The effect of including a functionally graded core is to advance the time of fracture initiation compared to a cross-ply (90°) core. The assumed symmetry and linear inhomogeneity leads to the energetics for the graded core to be similar to those observed for a 45° core ply-orientation.     

Stress analysis of functionally graded shells using a 7-parameter shell element

In this paper, finite element stress analysis of functionally graded structures using a high-order spectral/hp shell finite element is presented. The shell element is based on a seven-parameter first-order shear deformation theory in which the seventh parameter, in addition to the usual six degrees of freedom, is the thickness stretch. The continuum shell element is utilized for the numerical simulations of the fully geometrically nonlinear response of functionally graded elastic shell structures. Several nontrivial shell problems are considered to report deflections and stresses, the latter being the main focus of the current paper. It is found that the stresses computed in the current study agree only in some cases with those of ANSYS and/or ABAQUS and thus requires additional study to determine the cause of the disagreement.     

Self-consistent elastoplastic stress solutions for functionally graded material systems subjected to thermal transients

In this work, a self-consistent constitutive framework is proposed to describe the behaviour of a generic three-layered system containing a functionally graded material (FGM) layer subjected to thermal loading. Analytical and semi-analytical solutions are obtained to describe the thermo-elastic and thermo-elastoplastic behaviour of a three-layered system consisting of a metallic and a ceramic layer joined together by an FGM layer of arbitrary composition profile. Solutions for the stress distributions in a generic FGM system subjected to arbitrary temperature transient conditions are presented. The homogenisation of the local elastoplastic FGM behaviour in terms of the properties of its individual phases is performed using a self-consistent approach. In this work, power-law strain hardening behaviour is assumed for the FGM metallic phase. The stress distributions within the FGM systems are compared with accurate numerical solutions obtained from finite element analyses and good agreement is found throughout. Solutions are also given for the critical temperature transients required for the onset of plastic deformation within the three-layered systems.     

Thermal fracture of a functionally graded/homogeneous bimaterial with system of cracks

The thermal fracture of a bimaterial consisting of a homogeneous material and a functionally graded material (FGM) with a system of internal cracks and an interface crack is investigated. The bimaterial is subjected to a heat flux. The thermal properties of FGM are assumed to be continues functions of the thickness coordinate, while the elastic properties are constants. The method of the solution is based on the singular integral equations. For a special case where the interface crack is much larger than the internal cracks in the FGM the asymptotic analytical solution of the problem is obtained as series in a small parameter (the ratio between sizes of the internal and interface crack) and the thermal stress intensity factors (TSIFs) are derived as functions of geometry of the problem and material characteristics. A parametric analysis of the effects of the location and orientation of the cracks and of the inhomogeneity parameter of FGM’s thermal conductivity on the TSIFs is performed. The results are applicable to such kinds FGMs as ceramic/ceramic FGMs, e.g., TiC/SiC, MoSi₂/Al₂O₃ and MoSi₂/SiC, and also some ceramic/metal FGMs.     

On the screw dislocation in a functionally graded material

This paper presents the stress field of a screw dislocation in a medium graded in y-direction. The medium is exponentially graded. For such a graded material theories of elasticity as well as gradient elasticity are applied. By means of the stress function technique we found exact analytical solutions of the corresponding master equations. Using the stress field, the Peach–Koehler force is given. The axial symmetry of a screw dislocation is lost due to the gradation in the y-direction.     

Bending of functionally graded cantilever beam with power-law non-linearity subjected to an end force

A realistic beam structure often exhibits material and geometrical non-linearity, in particular for those made of metals. The mechanical behaviors of a non-linear functionally graded-material (FGM) cantilever beam subjected to an end force are investigated by using large and small deformation theories. Young's modulus is assumed to be depth-dependent. For an FGM beam of power-law hardening, the location of the neutral axis is determined. The effects of depth-dependent Young's modulus and non-linearity parameter on the deflections and rotations of the FGM beams are analyzed. Our results show that different gradient indexes may change the bending stiffness of the beam so that an FGM beam may bear larger applied load than a homogeneous beam when choosing appropriate gradients. Moreover, the bending stress distribution in an FGM beam is completely different from that in a homogeneous beam. The bending stress arrives at the maximum tensile stress at an internal position rather than at the surface. Obtained results are useful in safety design of linear and non-linear beams.     

The axisymmetric torsional contact problem of a functionally graded piezoelectric coated half-space

In this article, we study the axisymmetric tor-sional contact problem of a half-space coated with func-tionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) and subjected to a rigid circular punch. It is found that, along the thick-ness direction, the electromechanical properties of FGPMs change exponentially. We apply the Hankel integral trans-form technique and reduce the problem to a singular integral equation, and then numerically determine the unknown con-tact stress and electric displacement at the contact surface. The results show that the surface contact stress, surface azimuthal displacement, surface electric displacement, and inner electromechanical field are obviously dependent on the gradient index of the FGPM coating. It is found that we can adjust the gradient index of the FGPM coating to modify the distributions of the electric displacement and contact stress.     

A novel technique for the fabrication of laboratory scale model functionally graded materials

In this work, the authors describe the design, fabrication and testing of model functionally graded materials (FGMs). The inhomogeneous property variations were generated by altering material properties through selective ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Poly(ethylene co-carbon monoxide) (ECO) was chosen to make the FGMs because of its rapid degradation under UV light. Irradiated ECO becomes stiffer, stronger and more brittle with increasing irradiation time. Through a series of tension tests, the authors characterized the mechanical behavior of the specific ECO used as a function of UV exposure time. Furthermore, by controlling exposure time, specimens with continuously and discretely varying mechanical properties were produced. The resulting graded materials exhibited a Young's modulus that varied from about 160 MPa to 250 MPa and a strain to failure that varied from about 900 percent to 10 percent over the width in a 150 mm wide specimen. Microhardness measurements were used to determine the differences between discretely and continuously varying mechanical properties.