Nonlinear Free Vibration of In-Plane Functionally Graded Rectangular Plates

Nonlinear free vibration of functionally graded (FG) plates with in-plane material inhomogeneity subjected to different boundary conditions is presented. The nonlinear equations of motion and the related boundary conditions are extracted based on the classical plate theory. Green's strain tensor together with von Kármán assumptions is employed to model the geometrical nonlinearity. The differential quadrature method as an efficient and accurate numerical tool is employed to discretize the governing equations in spatial domain. After validating the presented approach, parametric studies are performed to clarify the effects of different parameters on the nonlinear frequency parameters of the in-plane FG plates.     

Bending,Free Vibration and Buckling Analysis of Functionally Graded Plates via Wavelet Finite Element Method

Following previous work, a wavelet finite element method is developed for bending, free vibration and buckling analysis of functionally graded (FG) plates based on Mindlin plate theory. The functionally graded material (FGM) properties are assumed to vary smoothly and continuously throughout the thickness of plate according to power law distribution of volume fraction of constituents. This article adopts scaling functions of two-dimensional tensor product BSWI to form shape functions. Then two-dimensional FGM BSWI element is constructed based on Mindlin plate theory by means of two-dimensional tensor product BSWI. The proposed two-dimensional FGM BSWI element possesses the advantages of high convergence, high accuracy and reliability with fewer degrees of freedoms on account of the excellent approximation property of BSWI. Numerical examples concerning various length-to-thickness ratios, volume fraction indexes, aspect ratios and boundary conditions are carried out for bending, free vibration and buckling problems of FG plates. These comparison examples demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed WFEM method comparing with the exact and referential solutions available in literatures.     

Temperature-dependent discrete layer-differential quadrature bending analysis of the multi-layered functionally graded annular plates rested on a two-parameter elastic foundation

A discrete layer approach coupled with the differential quadrature method (DQM) is employed to temperature dependent analyze the laminated functionally graded (FG) annular plates under mechanical loading in a thermal environment. The formulations are derived based on the elasticity theory, which includes the effects of the initial thermal stresses and two-parameter elastic foundation. The material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent and graded in the thickness direction. In order to accurately evaluate the effect of the thermal environment, the initial thermal stresses are obtained by solving the thermoelastic equilibrium equation. Comparison studies with the available solutions in the literature for FG plates are performed. Then, as an application, three common types of FG sandwich plates, namely, the sandwich with homogeneous face sheets and FG core and the sandwich with FG face sheets and homogeneous metal (soft) and ceramic (hard) core are analyzed. The influences of temperature rise, temperature-dependence of material properties, layers lay-out, foundation stiffness parameters, material graded index, and geometrical parameters on the solution are carried out. The new results can be used as benchmark solutions for future researches.     

A unified solution for vibration analysis of moderately thick,functionally graded rectangular plates with general boundary restraints and internal line supports

The objective of this article is to present a Fourier-Ritz method-based solution approach for the free vibration analysis of moderately thick, functionally graded (FG) rectangular plates with general boundary restraints and internal line supports. Under the current framework, regardless of boundary conditions, each of the displacements and rotations of the FG plates is invariantly expressed as a modified Fourier series in both directions. Then, the accurate solutions are obtained using the Ritz procedure based on the energy function of the plates. The convergence and accuracy of the present method are verified by a considerable number of convergence tests and comparisons.     

Free vibration analysis of rotating functionally graded cylindrical shells in thermal environment

The free vibration analysis of rotating functionally graded (FG) cylindrical shells subjected to thermal environment is investigated based on the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) of shells. The formulation includes the centrifugal and Coriolis forces due to rotation of the shell. The material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent and graded in the thickness direction. The initial thermo-mechanical stresses are obtained by solving the thermoelastic equilibrium equations. The equations of motion and the related boundary conditions are derived using Hamilton’s principle. The differential quadrature method (DQM) as an efficient and accurate numerical tool is adopted to discretize the thermoelastic equilibrium equations and the equations of motion. The convergence behavior of the method is demonstrated and comparison studies with the available solutions in the literature are performed. Finally, the effects of angular velocity, Coriolis acceleration, temperature dependence of material properties, material property graded index and geometrical parameters on the frequency parameters of the FG cylindrical shells with different boundary conditions are investigated.     

Exact three-dimensional free vibration analysis of thick homogeneous plates coated by a functionally graded layer

Exact closed-form solutions are carried out for both in-plane and out-of-plane free vibration of thick homogeneous simply supported rectangular plates coated by a functionally graded (FG) layer, based on three-dimensional elasticity theory. The elasticity modulus and mass density of the FG coating are assumed to vary exponentially through the thickness of the coating layer, whereas Poisson’s ratio is remaining constant. The equations of motion are solved using two proposed displacement fields for the in-plane and out-of-plane vibration modes. By inserting the displacement fields in the 3-D elasto-dynamic equations, some independent ordinary equations are obtained and solved analytically. Natural frequencies are extracted by satisfying boundary conditions of interface and surfaces of the structure. The solution procedure is validated by comparing the obtained results with corresponding results of a 3-D finite element analysis. Finally, the influence of the FG coating layer on the natural frequencies of the structure is investigated and discussed. Clearly, the present closed-form solutions can exactly predict both in-plane and out-of-plane vibration modes of thick FG coated plates.     

Out-of-plane free vibration of functionally graded circular curved beams in thermal environment

A first known formulation for the out-of-plane free vibration analysis of functionally graded (FG) circular curved beams in thermal environment is presented. The formulation is based on the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT), which includes the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia due to both torsional and flexural vibrations. The material properties are assumed to be temperature dependent and graded in the direction normal to the plane of the beam curvature. The equations of motion and the related boundary conditions, which include the effects of initial thermal stresses, are derived using the Hamilton’s principle. Differential quadrature method (DQM), as an efficient and accurate numerical method, is adopted to solve the thermoelastic equilibrium equations and the equations of motion. The formulations are validated by comparing the results, in the limit cases, with the available solutions in the literature for isotropic circular curved beams. In addition, for FG circular curved beams with soft simply supported edges, the results are compared with the obtained exact solutions. Then, the effects of temperature rise, boundary conditions, material and geometrical parameters on the natural frequencies are investigated.     

Thermo-mechanical vibration analysis of nonlocal temperature-dependent FG nanobeams with various boundary conditions

In this paper, the thermal effect on free vibration characteristics of functionally graded (FG) size-dependent nanobeams subjected to an in-plane thermal loading are investigated by presenting a Navier type solution and employing a semi analytical differential transform method (DTM) for the first time. Material properties of FG nanobeam are supposed to vary continuously along the thickness according to the power-law form. The small scale effect is taken into consideration based on nonlocal elasticity theory of Eringen. The nonlocal equations of motion are derived through Hamilton's principle and they are solved applying DTM. According to the numerical results, it is revealed that the proposed modeling and semi analytical approach can provide accurate frequency results of the FG nanobeams as compared to analytical results and also some cases in the literature. The detailed mathematical derivations are presented and numerical investigations are performed while the emphasis is placed on investigating the effect of the several parameters such as thermal effect, material distribution profile, small scale effects, mode number and boundary conditions on the normalized natural frequencies of the temperature-dependent FG nanobeams in detail. It is explicitly shown that the vibration behavior of an FG nanobeams is significantly influenced by these effects. Numerical results are presented to serve as benchmarks for future analyses of FG nanobeams.     

Nonlinear vibration of nanotube-reinforced composite plates in thermal environments

This paper deals with the large amplitude vibration of nanocomposite plates reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) resting on an elastic foundation in thermal environments. The SWCNTs are assumed aligned, straight and a uniform layout. Two kinds of carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (CNTRC) plates, namely, uniformly distributed (UD) and functionally graded (FG) reinforcements, are considered. The material properties of FG-CNTRC plates are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction, and are estimated through a micromechanical model. The motion equations are based on a higher-order shear deformation plate theory that includes plate-foundation interaction. The thermal effects are also included and the material properties of CNTRCs are assumed to be temperature-dependent. The equations of motion are solved by an improved perturbation technique to determine nonlinear frequencies of CNTRC plates. Numerical results reveal that the natural frequencies as well as the nonlinear to linear frequency ratios are increased by increasing the CNT volume fraction. The results also show that the natural frequencies are reduced but the nonlinear to linear frequency ratios are increased by increasing the temperature rise or by decreasing the foundation stiffness. The results confirm that a functionally graded reinforcement has a significant effect on the nonlinear vibration characteristics of CNTRC plates.     

Benchmark solution for free vibration of functionally graded moderately thick annular sector plates

In the present article, an exact analytical solution for free vibration analysis of a moderately thick functionally graded (FG) annular sector plate is presented. Based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory, five coupled partial differential equations of motion are obtained without any simplification. Doing some mathematical manipulations, these highly coupled equations are converted into a sixth-order and a fourth-order decoupled partial differential equation. The decoupled equation are solved analytically for an FG annular sector plate with simply supported radial edges. The accurate natural frequencies of the FG annular sector plates with nine different boundary conditions are presented for several aspect ratios, some thickness/length ratios, different sector angles, and various power law indices. The results show that variations of the thickness, aspect ratio, sector angle, and boundary condition of the FG annular sector plates can change the vibration wave number. Also for an FG annular sector plate with one free edge, in opposite to the other boundary conditions, the natural frequency decreases with increasing the aspect ratio for small aspect ratios. Moreover, the mode shape contour plots are depicted for an FG annular sector plate with various boundary conditions. The accurate natural frequencies of FG annular sector plates are presented for the first time and can serve as a benchmark solution.     

Free vibration analysis of moderately thick functionally graded plates by local Kriging meshless method

This paper mainly Presents free vibration analyses of metal and ceramic functionally graded plates with the local Kriging meshless method. The Kriging technique is employed to construct shape functions which possess Kronecker delta function property and thus make it easy to implement essential boundary conditions. The eigenvalue equations of free vibration problems are based on the first-order shear deformation theory and the local Petrov–Galerkin formulation. The cubic spline function is used as the weight function which vanishes on internal boundaries of local quadrature domains and hence simplifies the implementation. Convergence studies are conducted to examine the stability of the present method. Three types of functionally graded plates – square, skew and quadrilateral plates – are considered as numerical examples to demonstrate the versatility of the present method for free vibration analyses.     

A Size-Dependent Functionally Graded Higher Order Plate Analysis Based on Modified Couple Stress Theory and Moving Kriging Meshfree Method

A size-dependent computational approach for bending, free vibration and buckling analyses of isotropic and sandwich functionally graded (FG) microplates is in this study presented. We consider both shear deformation and small scale effects through the generalized higher order shear deformation theory and modified couple stress theory (MCST). The present model only retains a single material length scale parameter for capturing properly size effects. A rule of mixture is used to model material properties varying through the thickness of plates. The principle of virtual work is used to derive the discrete system equations which are approximated by moving Kriging interpolation (MKI) meshfree method. Numerical examples consider the inclusions of geometrical parameters, volume fraction, boundary conditions and material length scale parameter. Reliability and effectiveness of the present method are confirmed through numerical results.     

Exact solution for stability analysis of moderately thick functionally graded sector plates on elastic foundation

In this article, an exact analytical solution for buckling analysis of moderately thick functionally graded (FG) sector plates resting on Winkler elastic foundation is presented. The equilibrium equations are derived according to the first order shear deformation plate theory. Because of the coupling between the bending and stretching equilibrium equations of FG plates, these plates have deflection under in-plane loads lower than the critical buckling load acting on the mid-plane. The conditions under which FG plates remain flat in the pre-buckling configuration are investigated and the stability equations are obtained based on the flat plate assumption in the pre-buckling state. The stability equations are simplified into decoupled equations and solved analytically for plates having simply supported boundary condition on the straight edges. The critical buckling load is obtained and the effects of geometrical parameters and power law index on the stability of functionally graded sector plates are studded. The results for the critical buckling load of moderately thick functionally graded sector plates resting on elastic foundation are reported for the first time.     

Thermal buckling and postbuckling analysis of functionally graded annular plates with temperature-dependent material properties

As a first endeavor, the thermal buckling and postbuckling analysis of functionally graded (FG) annular plates with material properties graded in the radial direction is presented. The formulation is derived based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) and the geometrical nonlinearity is modeled using Green’s strain in conjunction with von Karman’s assumptions. The material properties are temperature-dependent and graded according to the power law distribution. It is assumed that the temperature varies along the radial direction. Using the virtual work principle, the pre-buckling and postbuckling equilibrium equations and the related boundary conditions are derived. Differential quadrature method (DQM) as an efficient numerical technique is adopted to solve the governing equations. The presented formulation and the method of solution are validated by performing convergence and comparison studies with available results in the literature. Finally, the effects of volume fraction index, geometrical parameters, mechanical/thermal properties of the constituent materials and boundary conditions on the thermal buckling and postbuckling behavior of the radially graded annular plate are evaluated and discussed.     

Study on the free vibration of thick functionally graded rectangular plates according to a new exact closed-form procedure

In this article, a new exact closed-form procedure is presented to solve free vibration analysis of functionally graded rectangular thick plates based on the Reddy’s third-order shear deformation plate theory while the plate has two opposite edges simply supported (i.e., Lévy-type rectangular plates). The elasticity modulus and mass density of the plate are assumed to vary according to a power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents whereas Poisson’s ratio is constant. Based on the present solution, five governing complicated partial differential equations of motion were exactly solved by introducing the auxiliary and potential functions and using the method of separation of variables. The validity and high accuracy of the present solutions are investigated by comparing some of the present results with their counterparts reported in literature and the 3-D finite element analysis. It is obvious that the present exact solution can accurately predict not only the out of plane, but also the in-plane modes of FG plate. Furthermore, a new eigenfrequency parameter is defined having its special own characteristics. Finally, the effects of boundary conditions, thickness to length ratio, aspect ratio and the power law index on the frequency parameter of the plate are presented.     

Free vibration and stability of functionally graded plates according to a 2-D higher-order deformation theory

Natural frequencies and buckling stresses of plates made of functionally graded materials (FGMs) are analyzed by taking into account the effects of transverse shear and normal deformations and rotatory inertia. The modulus of elasticity of the plates is assumed to vary according to a power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. By using the method of power series expansion of displacement components, a set of fundamental dynamic equations of a two-dimensional (2-D) higher-order theory for rectangular functionally graded (FG) plates is derived through Hamilton’s principle. Several sets of truncated approximate theories are applied to solve the eigenvalue problems of FG plates with simply supported edges. In order to assure the accuracy of the present theory, convergence properties of the fundamental natural frequency are examined in detail. Critical buckling stresses of FG plates subjected to in-plane stresses are also obtained and a relation between the buckling stress and natural frequency of simply supported FG plates without in-plane stresses is presented. The distributions of modal displacements and modal stresses in the thickness direction are obtained accurately by satisfying the surface boundary conditions of a plate. The modal transverse stresses have been obtained by integrating the three-dimensional equations of motion in the thickness direction starting from the top or bottom surface of a plate. The present numerical results are also verified by satisfying the energy balance of external and internal works are considered to be sufficient with respect to the accuracy of solutions. It is noticed that the present 2-D higher-order approximate theories can predict accurately the natural frequencies and buckling stresses of simply supported FG plates.     

A new nonlocal elasticity theory with graded nonlocality for thermo-mechanical vibration of FG nanobeams via a nonlocal third-order shear deformation theory

In the present research, free vibration study of functionally graded (FG) nanobeams with graded nonlocality in thermal environments is performed according to the third-order shear deformation beam theory. The present nanobeam is subjected to uniform and nonlinear temperature distributions. Thermo-elastic coefficients and nonlocal parameter of the FG nanobeam are graded in the thickness direction according to power-law form. The scale coefficient is taken into consideration implementing nonlocal elasticity of Eringen. The governing equations are derived through Hamilton's principle and are solved analytically. The frequency response is compared with those of nonlocal Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam models, and it is revealed that the proposed modeling can accurately predict the vibration frequencies of the FG nanobeams. The obtained results are presented for the thermo-mechanical vibrations of the FG nanobeams to investigate the effects of material graduation, nonlocal parameter, mode number, slenderness ratio, and thermal loading in detail. The present study is associated to aerospace, mechanical, and nuclear engineering structures that are under thermal loads.     

Nonlinear analysis of smart functionally graded annular sector plates using cylindrically orthotropic piezoelectric fiber reinforced composite

This work deals with the geometrically nonlinear thermo-electro-elastic analysis of functionally graded (FG) annular sector plates integrated with the annular patches of cylindrically orthotropic piezoelectric fiber reinforced composite (PFRC). The annular patches with an external voltage across their thickness act as the distributed actuators and their performance in controlling the nonlinear flexural deformations of the host FG plates is investigated. The temperature field is assumed to be spatially uniform over the plate surfaces and varied through the thickness of the substrate FG plates. The temperature-dependent material properties of the FG plates are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction of the plates according to a power-law distribution while the Poisson’s ratio is assumed to be a constant over the domain of the substrate plate. A finite element model of the overall smart FG annular sector plate is developed based on the first order shear deformation theory and the Von Karman nonlinear strain–displacement relations. The governing nonlinear finite element equations are derived employing the principle of minimum potential energy and solved using direct iteration method. The numerical results illustrate significant control authority of the cylindrically orthotropic PFRC annular patches for active control of nonlinear deformations of the substrate FG annular sector plates. The numerical results also reveal the best radial and circumferential locations of the annular PFRC patches for effective control. For a specified circumferential stretch of the annular PFRC patches, their minimum radial length is numerically estimated in such a way that the performance of the overall smart FG plate is not affected significantly. The effects of the material properties and the temperature of the host FG plate on the performance of the annular PFRC patches are also discussed.     

Bending response of functionally graded plates by using a new higher order shear deformation theory

This paper presents an analytical solution to the static analysis of functionally graded plates, using a recently developed higher order shear deformation theory (HSDT) and provides detailed comparisons with other HSDT’s available in the literature. These theories account for adequate distribution of the transverse shear strains through the plate thickness and tangential stress-free boundary conditions on the plate boundary surfaces, thus a shear correction factor is not required. The mechanical properties of the plates are assumed to vary in the thickness direction according to a power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The governing equations of a functionally graded (FG) plate and boundary conditions are derived by employing the principle of virtual work. Navier-type analytical solution is obtained for FG plates subjected to transverse bi-sinusoidal and distributed loads for simply supported boundary conditions. Results are provided for thick to thin FG plates and for different volume fraction distributions. The accuracy of the present code is verified by comparing it with known results in the literature.     

Effect of various thermal loadings on buckling and vibrational characteristics of nonlocal temperature-dependent functionally graded nanobeams

In this article, the thermal effects on buckling and free vibrational characteristics of functionally graded (FG) size-dependent nanobeams subjected to various types of thermal loading are investigated by presenting a Navier-type solution for the first time. Temperature-dependent material properties of FG nanobeams vary continuously along the thickness according to the power-law form. The small-scale effect is taken into consideration based on Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory. The nonlocal equations of motion are derived through Hamilton's principle and they are solved applying an analytical solution. It is revealed that the proposed modeling can provide accurate frequency results of the FG nanobeams.