Vibrations of heated plates with two opposite edges simply supported

Vibration analysis of the family of rectangular plates with two opposite sides simply supported can be simplified by assuming mode shapes. In the present paper a vibration analysis of such plates which are heated so as to have a temperature varying in the direction parallel to these sides is presented. A steady state temperature which satisfies the Laplace equation is considered. Due to the assumption of mode shapes the governing plate differential equation, which in general is a function of the x and y co-ordinates, becomes a function of one co-ordinate. This equation is analyzed by a finite difference method and solved by a standard simultaneous iteration technique. The accuracy of the method is ascertained by comparing the results for some well known boundary conditions when there is no temperature effect with the standard solutions available in the literature. From the results an attempt has been made to correlate the natural frequency with the temperature. Plates of uniform thickness with different length to breadth ratios have been analyzed. The assumed linear temperature distribution satisfies the Laplace equation and the plate is free to expand in its plane at its edges so that no thermal stresses will be induced.