Thermoelastic Buckling Analysis of Functionally Graded Circular Plates Integrated with Piezoelectric Layers

Thermal buckling of circular plates made of functionally graded materials with surface-bounded piezoelectric layers are studied. The material properties of the FG plates are assumed to vary continuously through the plate thickness by distribution of power law of the volume fraction of the constituent materials. The general thermoelastic nonlinear equilibrium and linear stability equations for the piezoelectric FG plate are derived using the variational formulations. Buckling temperatures are derived for solid circular plates under uniform temperature rise, nonlinear and linear temperature variation through the thickness for immovable clamped edge of boundary conditions. The effects of piezo-to-host thickness ratio, applied actuator voltage, boundary condition, and power law index of functionally graded plates on the buckling temperature of plate are investigated. The results are verified with the data in literature.