Nonlinear Finite Element Solution of Post-buckling Responses of FGM Panel Structure under Elevated Thermal Load and TD and TID Properties

Abstract

The nonlinear finite element solutions for the buckling and post-buckling responses of the functionally graded shell panel subjected to the non-uniform thermal environment have been presented in this article. The thermal fields are assumed as uniform, linear and nonlinear temperature rise across the thickness of shell panel and the properties of each constituent are considered to be temperature dependent. The effective material properties of the graded structure are evaluated using the Voigt’s micromechanical rule in conjunction with power-law distribution. For the analysis purpose, a general nonlinear mathematical model of the functionally graded shell panel has been developed based on the higher order shear deformation theory and Green-Lagrange type geometrical nonlinear strains. The system governing equation of the panel structure is derived using the variational principle. Further, suitable nonlinear finite element steps have been adopted to discretize the model for the computation of the desired responses in association with the direct iterative method. The convergence and the validation behavior of the present numerical model are initially tested to demonstrate its efficacy and significance. Finally, the effects of curvature, power law index and different support conditions on the buckling and post-buckling responses of the functionally graded shell panels are investigated and discussed in details.