Hierarchical theories for the free vibration analysis of functionally graded beams

This work addresses a free vibration analysis of functionally graded beams via several axiomatic refined theories. The material properties of the beam are assumed to vary continuously on the cross-section according to a power law distribution in terms of the volume fraction of the material constituents. Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and density can vary along one or two dimensions all together or independently. The three-dimensional kinematic field is derived in a compact form as a generic N-order polynomial approximation. The governing differential equations and the boundary conditions are derived by variationally imposing the equilibrium via the Principle of Virtual Displacements. They are written in terms of a fundamental nucleo that does not depend upon the approximation order. A Navier-type, closed form solution is adopted. Higher-order displacements-based theories that account for non-classical effects are formulated. Classical beam models, such as Euler–Bernoulli’s and Timoshenko’s, are obtained as particular cases. Bending, torsion and axial modes are investigated. Slender as well as short beams are considered. Numerical results highlight the effect of different material distributions on natural frequencies and mode shapes and the accuracy of the proposed models.     

Static analysis of laminated beams via a unified formulation

A linear static analysis of composite beams is presented in this work. Simply supported, cross-ply laminated beams are examined. Beams with different values of length-to-thickness ratio subjected to bending loadings are considered. Carrera’s Unified Formulation is adopted to derive several hierarchical theories. The kinematic field is imposed above the cross-section via a N-order polynomials approximation of the displacements unknown variables. The governing equations and boundary conditions are variationally obtained through the Principle of Virtual Displacements. A closed form, Navier-type solution is adopted. Thanks to this formulation, quasi three-dimensional strain and stress fields can be obtained. Classical beam models, such as Euler–Bernoulli’s and Timoshenko’s, are obtained as particular cases. Results are validated in terms of accuracy and computational costs towards three-dimensional FE models implemented in the commercial code ANSYS. Numerical investigations show that good results are obtained as long as the appropriate expansion order is used.     

Hierarchical theories for the free vibration analysis of functionally graded beams

This work addresses a free vibration analysis of functionally graded beams via several axiomatic refined theories. The material properties of the beam are assumed to vary continuously on the cross-section according to a power law distribution in terms of the volume fraction of the material constituents. Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and density can vary along one or two dimensions all together or independently. The three-dimensional kinematic field is derived in a compact form as a generic N-order polynomial approximation. The governing differential equations and the boundary conditions are derived by variationally imposing the equilibrium via the Principle of Virtual Displacements. They are written in terms of a fundamental nucleo that does not depend upon the approximation order. A Navier-type, closed form solution is adopted. Higher-order displacements-based theories that account for non-classical effects are formulated. Classical beam models, such as Euler–Bernoulli’s and Timoshenko’s, are obtained as particular cases. Bending, torsion and axial modes are investigated. Slender as well as short beams are considered. Numerical results highlight the effect of different material distributions on natural frequencies and mode shapes and the accuracy of the proposed models.     

Free vibration and stability analysis of three-dimensional sandwich beams via hierarchical models

This paper presents a free vibration and a stability analysis of three-dimensional sandwich beams. Several higher-order displacements-based theories as well as classical models (Euler–Bernoulli’s and Timoshenko’s ones) are derived assuming a unified formulation by a priori approximating the displacement field along the cross-section in a compact form. The governing differential equations and the boundary conditions are derived in a nucleal form that corresponds to a generic term in the displacement field approximation. The resulting fundamental nucleo does not depend upon the approximation order N that is a free parameter of the formulation. A Navier-type, closed form solution is used. Simply supported beams are, therefore, investigated. Slender up to very short beams are considered. As far as free vibrations are concerned, the fundamental natural frequency as well as natural frequencies associated to torsional and higher modes such as sheet face bending and twisting (typical of sandwich structures) are investigated. The stability analysis is carried out in terms of critical buckling stress in the framework of a linearised elastic approach. Results are assessed towards three-dimensional FEM solutions. It is shown that upon an appropriate choice of the approximation order, the proposed models are able to match the three-dimensional reference solutions.     

Free vibration analysis of composite beams via refined theories

This paper presents a free-vibration analysis of simply supported, cross-ply beams via several higher-order as well as classical theories. The three-dimensional displacement field is approximated along the beam cross-section in a compact form as a generic N-order polynomial expansion. Several higher-order displacements-based theories accounting for non-classical effects can be, therefore, formulated straightforwardly. Classical beam models, such as Euler–Bernoulli’s and Timoshenko’s, are obtained as particular cases. The governing differential equations and the boundary conditions are derived by variationally imposing the equilibrium via the principle of virtual displacements. Thanks to the compact form of the displacement field approximation, governing equations are written in terms of a fundamental nucleo that does not depend upon the approximation order. A Navier-type, closed form solution is adopted in order to derive the governing algebraic equations. Besides the fundamental natural frequency, natural frequencies associated to higher modes (such as torsional, axial, shear and mixed ones) are investigated. A half waves number equal to one is considered. The effect of the length-to-thickness ratio, lamination, aspect ratio and material properties on: (1) the accuracy of the proposed theories and (2) the natural frequencies and modes is presented and discussed. For the latter case, the modes change in order of appearance (modes swapping) and in shape (modes mutation) is investigated. Results are assessed towards three-dimensional FEM solutions. Numerical results show that, upon the choice of the appropriate approximation order, very accurate results can be obtained for all the considered modes.     

On the modal behavior of a three-dimensional functionally graded cantilever beam: Poisson’s ratio and material sampling effects

Modal behavior of a three-dimensional (3D) homogeneous and functionally graded (FG) cantilever beam is studied using the Rayleigh–Ritz (RR) method and the finite element method (FEM). The effect of Poisson’s ratio and material sampling point on the natural frequencies is further addressed using the FEM. The natural frequencies (first three) obtained using the RR method converge as the number of admissible shape functions increase. The natural frequencies (first 15) obtained using the FEM vary considerably with the material gradation, more so for the lower modes than for the higher modes. Poisson’s ratio significantly changes the torsional natural frequencies of the homogeneous and graded beams. Considerable change in the natural frequencies is seen for the linear graded beams whose material properties are sampled at the element centroid rather than at Gaussian integration points. This difference is easily observed for beams modeled using a coarse mesh rather than a fine mesh. The natural frequencies of the y   direction hyperbolic tangent beam with material nonhomogeneity parameter β=100$\beta =100$ matches well with those of the y direction bi-material beam. The natural frequencies of the power-law graded 3D cantilever beam obtained using the FEM matches closely with the 2D reference (Qian and Ching, 2004 [1]) solution obtained using the meshless local Petrov–Galerkin method.     

Free vibration of axially loaded rectangular composite beams using refined shear deformation theory

Free vibration of axially loaded rectangular composite beams with arbitrary lay-ups using refined shear deformation theory is presented. It accounts for the parabolical variation of shear strains through the depth of beam. Three governing equations of motion are derived from the Hamilton’s principle. The resulting coupling is referred to as triply axial-flexural coupled vibration. A displacement-based one-dimensional finite element model is developed to solve the problem. Numerical results are obtained for rectangular composite beams to investigate effects of fiber orientation and modulus ratio on the natural frequencies, critical buckling loads and load–frequency curves as well as corresponding mode shapes.     

Faraday cup for measuring the electron beams of TWT guns

A compact Faraday cup reported in this paper is designed to investigate the current distributions of the electron beams of Traveling Wave Tube’s guns. It consists of a 0.06 mm thick molybdenum aperture plate and a copper shield with a graphite collector inside. There are plates with different laser-cut aperture holes that were 100 μm, 50 μm, 20 μm and 10 μm in diameter for measuring electron beams with different sizes. The thermal analysis of the Faraday cup with pulse beam heating was performed and discussed in this paper. The pulse test shows that this device has fast response and small dissipation. A 0.58 beam perveance (μP) electron gun with expected minimum beam radius 1.0 mm was measured with the Faraday cup and the three-dimensional current density distribution and beam envelope were presented. The experiment results show that the design is reasonable for measuring the electron beam with a high resolution.     

Three-dimensional stress analysis of rotating composite beams due to material discontinuities

Material discontinuity could cause in-plane stress gradients that it arises out-of-plane stresses in regions of sudden transition of material properties. A layerwise laminated plate theory is adapted to laminated beams to analyze analytically the three-dimensional stress field at material discontinuities in rotating composite beams. Equations of motion are obtained by using Hamilton’s principle. The beam is divided into two regions with different layups which are joined together to model the region of material discontinuity. The predicted stress distributions at the ply interfaces are shown to be in good agreement with comparative three-dimensional finite element analysis.     

Numerical analysis in focusing characteristics of the three-dimensional trapezoidal electrodes for carbon nanotube field emitters

In this study, the focusing characteristics of three-dimensional trapezoidal focusing electrodes for carbon nanotube field emitters are analyzed by the combination of the finite-difference time-domain and particle-in-cell methods. To investigate the divergences of the electrons, the three-dimensional trajectories of the electron beams are simulated by evaluating the electrons’ positions and momentums. The divergence angles of electrons in the emitters with three-dimensional focusing electrodes are proved to be smaller than those with the conventional triode structure or with the planar focusing electrodes. Characteristics of the 4 μm-thick three-dimensional geometries (trapezoidal, rectangular and inversed trapezoidal) are compared. The 1 V biased three-dimensional trapezoidal focusing electrode is optimal in regulating the divergence of the beams and forming uniform electron spots on the anode. The average divergence angle of the electrons is limited to 0.1309 rad on the anode plane while the maximum divergence angle is 0.3236 rad.     

A static analysis of three-dimensional functionally graded beams by hierarchical modelling and a collocation meshless solution method

In this paper, a mesh-free strong-form solution is used to investigate the static response of beams made of functionally graded materials. Thanks to a compact notation, the a priori expansion order of the three-dimensional displacement field upon the cross-section can be assumed as a free parameter resulting in a hierarchical kinematic modelling. Several higher-order theories as well as Timoshenko’s classical model can be formulated straightforwardly. The governing differential equations and boundary conditions are obtained as a fundamental nucleus, and an algebraic system is derived via collocation with multiquadric radial basis functions. Results are validated towards three-dimensional FEM models and also against an analytical Navier-type solution. The numerical investigations demonstrate that the presented approach yields accurate results.     

Parametric instability of functionally graded beams with an open edge crack under axial pulsating excitation

This paper studies the parametric instability of functionally graded beams with an open edge crack subjected to an axial pulsating excitation which is a combination of a static compressive force and a harmonic excitation force. It is assumed that the materials properties follow an exponential variation through the thickness direction. Theoretical formulations are based on Timoshenko beam theory and linear rotational spring model. The governing equations of motion are derived by using Hamilton’s principle and transformed into a set of Mathieu equations through Galerkin’s procedure. The natural frequencies with different end supports are obtained. The boundary points on the unstable regions are determined by using Bolotin’s method. Numerical results are presented to highlight the influences of crack location, crack depth, material property gradient, beam slenderness ratio, compressive load, and boundary conditions on both the free vibration and parametric instability behaviors of the cracked functionally graded beams.     

Transfer matrix solutions for three-dimensional consolidation of a multi-layered soil with compressible constituents

In this paper, transfer matrix solutions for three-dimensional consolidation of a multi-layered soil considering the compressibility of pore fluid are presented. The derivation of the solutions starts with the fundamental differential equations of Biot’s three-dimensional consolidation theory, takes into account the compressibility of pore fluid in the Cartesian coordinate system, and introduces the extended displacement functions. The relationship of displacements, stresses, excess pore water pressure, and flux between the ground surface (z = 0) and an arbitrary depth z is established for Biot’s three-dimensional consolidation problem of a finite soil layer with compressible pore fluid by taking the Laplace transform with respect to t and the double Fourier transform with respect to x and y, respectively. Based on this relationship of the transfer matrix, the continuity between layers, and the boundary conditions, the solutions for Biot’s three-dimensional consolidation problem of a multi-layered soil with compressible constituents in a Laplace-Fourier transform domain is obtained. The final solutions in the physical domain are obtained by inverting the Laplace-Fourier transforms. Numerical analysis is carried out by using a corresponding program based on the solutions developed in this study. This analysis demonstrates that the compressibility of pore fluid has a remarkable effect on the process of consolidation.     

Vibration analysis of thin-walled composite beams with I-shaped cross-sections

A general analytical model applicable to the vibration analysis of thin-walled composite I-beams with arbitrary lay-ups is developed. Based on the classical lamination theory, this model has been applied to the investigation of load–frequency interaction curves of thin-walled composite beams under various loads. The governing differential equations are derived from the Hamilton’s principle. A finite element model with seven degrees of freedoms per node is developed to solve the problem. Numerical results are obtained for thin-walled composite I-beams under uniformly distributed load, combined axial force and bending loads. The effects of fiber orientation, location of applied load, and types of loads on the natural frequencies and load–frequency interaction curves as well as vibration mode shapes are parametrically studied.     

Analysis of plates reinforced with beams

 In this paper a solution to the problem of plates reinforced with beams is presented. The adopted model takes into account the resulting inplane forces and deformations of the plate as well as the axial forces and deformations of the beam, due to combined response of the system. The analysis consists in isolating the beams from the plate by sections parallel to the lower outer surface of the plate. The forces at the interface, which produce lateral deflection and inplane deformation to the plate and lateral deflection and axial deformation to the beam, are established using continuity conditions at the interface. The solution of the arising plate and beam problems which are nonlinearly coupled, is achieved using the analog equation method (AEM). The adopted model describes better the actual response of the plate–beams system and permits the evaluation of the shear forces at the interface, the knowledge of which is very important in the design of composite or prefabricated ribbed plates. The resulting deflections are considerably smaller than those obtained by other models. Received 21 April 1999     

Dynamic behaviour of edge-cracked shear deformable functionally graded beams on an elastic foundation under a moving load

This paper studies the dynamic response of functionally graded beams with an open edge crack resting on an elastic foundation subjected to a transverse load moving at a constant speed. It is assumed that the material properties follow an exponential variation through the thickness direction. Theoretical formulations are based on Timoshenko beam theory to account for the transverse shear deformation. The cracked beam is modeled as an assembly of two sub-beams connected through a linear rotational spring. The governing equations of motion are derived by using Hamilton’s principle and transformed into a set of dynamic equations through Galerkin’s procedure. The natural frequencies and dynamic response with different end supports are obtained. Numerical results are presented to investigate the influences of crack location, crack depth, material property gradient, slenderness ratio, foundation stiffness parameters, velocity of the moving load and boundary conditions on both free vibration and dynamic response of cracked functionally graded beams.     

The size-dependent natural frequency of Bernoulli-Euler micro-beams

The dynamic problems of Bernoulli-Euler beams are solved analytically on the basis of modified couple stress theory. The governing equations of equilibrium, initial conditions and boundary conditions are obtained by a combination of the basic equations of modified couple stress theory and Hamilton’s principle. Two boundary value problems (one for simply supported beam and another for cantilever beam) are solved and the size effect on the beam’s natural frequencies for two kinds of boundary conditions are assessed. It is found that the natural frequencies of the beams predicted by the new model are size-dependent. The difference between the natural frequencies predicted by the newly established model and classical beam model is very significant when the ratio of characteristic sizes to internal material length scale parameter is approximately equal to one, but is diminishing with the increase of the ratio.     

The refined theory of magnetoelastic rectangular beams

Summary. The problem of deducing a one-dimensional theory from a three-dimensional theory for a soft ferromagnetic elastic isotropic body is investigated. Based on the linear magnetoelasticity, the refined theory of magnetoelastic beams is presented by using the general solution for the soft ferromagnetic elastic solids and the Lure method. Based on the refined theory of magnetoelastic beams, the exact equations and solutions for the homogeneous beams are derived and the equations can be decomposed into three governing differential equations: the fourth-order equation, the transcendental equation and the magnetic equation. Moreover, the approximate equations and solutions for the beam under transverse loadings and magnetic field perturbations are derived directly from the refined beam theory. By omitting higher order terms and coupling effects, the refined beam theory can be degenerated into other well-known elastic and magnetoelastic theoretical models.     

Deriving the time-dependent dyadic Green’s functions in conductive anisotropic media

A homogeneous anisotropic conductive medium, characterized by symmetric positive definite permeability and conductivity tensors, is considered in the paper. In this anisotropic medium, the electric and magnetic dyadic Green’s functions are defined as electric and magnetic fields arising from impulsive current dipoles and satisfying the time-dependent Maxwell’s equations in quasi-static approximation. A new method of deriving these dyadic Green’s functions is suggested in the paper. This method consists of several steps: equations for electric and magnetic dyadic Green’s functions are written in terms of the Fourier images; explicit formulae for the Fourier images of dyadic Green’s functions are derived using the matrix transformations and solutions of some ordinary differential equations depending on the Fourier parameters; the inverse Fourier transform is applied numerically to obtained formulae to find dyadic Green’s functions values. Using suggested method images of electric and magnetic dyadic Green’s function components are obtained in such conductive anisotropic medium as the white matter of a human brain.     

Symmetry groups and group-invariant solutions of 3D non-linear thermoelasticity

The purpose of the present work is the investigation of the symmetry groups of the pde’s describing the non-linear three-dimensional thermoelasticity. The set of the free energy functions conformed to the obtained group symmetries is studied. Also, some particular group-invariant solutions associated with the obtained symmetries are examined. The methodology and solution techniques used in this paper belong totally to the analytical realm.