Hygro-thermo-mechanical modelling of multilayered plates: Hybrid composite laminates, fibre metal laminates and sandwich plates

Abstract

A new layerwise mixed model is developed for the coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical static analysis of multilayered plates, addressing hybrid composite laminates, fibre metal laminates and sandwich plates under hygro-thermo-mechanical loadings. This model is based on a mixed least-squares formulation, i.e. a strong form model, with a layerwise variable description for displacements, transverse stresses and in-plane strains, along with temperature, transverse heat flux and in-plane components of the thermal gradient, as well as moisture, transverse moisture flux and in-plane components of the moisture gradient, all taken as independent variables. This mixed formulation ensures that the interlaminar C0 continuity requirements, where the material properties change, are fully fulfilled a priori by all independent variables. The effects of hygrothermal environments in the behaviour of multilayered plates are here demonstrated considering hybrid composite laminates, fibre metal laminates and sandwich plates with different side-to-thickness ratios under a series of hygro-thermo-mechanical loadings. Three-dimensional (3D) exact solutions are used to assess the results by the present model and some further by an alternative weak form model in the framework of Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). The present model is shown to predict a highly accurate quasi-3D hygro-thermo-mechanical description of the through-thickness distributions of displacements and stresses, temperature and heat flux, moisture and moisture flux, all together.