Vibration analysis of functionally graded circular plates of variable thickness under thermal environment by generalized differential quadrature method

Abstract

The vibration of functionally graded circular plates of variable thickness under a thermal environment is analyzed when the nodal lines are concentric circles by using the generalized differential quadrature method for the nonlinear temperature distribution in the thickness direction. The parabolic variation in thickness along the radial direction is controlled by a taper constant. The plate material is graded in the transverse direction and its mechanical properties are temperature-dependent. The thermal environment over the top and bottom surfaces of the plate is assumed to be uniform. Hamilton's principle has been used in obtaining the governing differential equations for thermo-elastic equilibrium and axisymmetric motion for such a plate model employing Kirchhoff plate theory. Numerical results for thermal displacements and natural frequencies of clamped and simply supported plates have been obtained using MATLAB. The effect of the taper constant, volume fraction index, and temperature difference on the vibration characteristics has been analyzed for the lowest three modes of vibration. A study in which the plate material has temperature-independent properties has also been performed. The accuracy of the present technique is verified by comparing the results with those available in the literature.