Thermal Mechanical Bending Response of Symmetrical Functionally Graded Material Plates

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Solid Mechanics

Background:

• Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) are advanced composites with continuously varying material properties.
• Understanding the thermo-mechanical behavior of FGM structures is crucial for their application in extreme environments.
• Existing models may lack efficiency or comprehensive analysis for complex thermal-mechanical loading scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simplified thermodynamic analysis model for the thermo-mechanical bending of symmetric FGM plates and FGM sandwich plates.
• To investigate the influence of various parameters on the bending response of these structures.
• To compare the behavior of FGM plates versus FGM sandwich plates under thermal and mechanical loads.

Main Methods:

• A thermodynamic analysis model based on refined shear deformation theory and the principle of minimum potential energy.
• A system of four control equations with four unknown variables.
• The Navier method for solving the governing equations.
• Numerical examples for simply supported boundary conditions.
• Parameter analysis including volume fraction index, aspect ratio, thermal load, and core thickness.

Main Results:

• The proposed model accurately predicts the thermo-mechanical bending response of FGM and FGM sandwich plates.
• FGM sandwich plates exhibit greater stiffness (less deflection) and higher normal stress compared to FGM plates.
• Both FGM plate and FGM sandwich plate responses are sensitive to nonlinear temperature variations.

Conclusions:

• The developed model offers an efficient and accurate method for analyzing the thermo-mechanical bending of FGM and FGM sandwich plates.
• Design choices, such as incorporating a core layer, significantly impact structural performance under thermal loads.
• Further research can explore more complex geometries and material gradations.