Thermal free vibration analysis of functionally graded plates and panels with an improved finite shell element

Abstract

This article deals with thermal free vibration analysis of functionally graded material (FGM) plates and panels using an improved first-order shear deformable (I-FSDT) shell model. The Effective material properties of the FGMs are estimated according to a power law distribution with temperature dependency. The FGM structure can be subjected to uniform or nonlinear temperature rise. The results obtained from the proposed formulation are validated with those available in the literature. Natural frequencies of FGM plates and cylindrical panels are computed for different power law indexes, thermal loadings, boundary conditions and aspect ratios. The present (I-FSDT) finite shell element model is much like the standard (FSDT) model but does not need shear correction factors and is of high accuracy. This work is the first application of the formulation to free vibration analysis of FG plate and shell structures including thermal effects.