Nonlinear thermo-mechanical axisymmetric stability of FG-GPLRC spherical shells and circular plates resting on nonlinear elastic medium

Abstract

ABSTRACT An analytical approach for nonlinear thermo-mechanical buckling of functionally graded graphene platelet reinforced composite (FG-GPLRC) circular plates and shallow spherical shells resting on nonlinear elastic medium using the higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT) and the nonlinearities of von Kármán is established in the present work. Assuming that the structures are axisymmetrically displaced for the central axis and external pressure and thermal loads are applied. The nonlinear elastic medium is used to model the behaviour of hardening or softening medium depending on the positive and negative values of the nonlinear parameter, respectively. By applying the Ritz energy method, the relation expressions of load-deflection are archived to investigate the postbuckling response and critical buckling load of the structures. Special effects on the nonlinear thermo-mechanical behaviour of plates and shells with different medium stiffnesses, different material parameters, and different geometrical dimensions are explored and discussed in numerical results.