3D thermoelasticity solutions for functionally graded thick plates

Thermal-mechanical behavior of functionally graded thick plates, with one pair of opposite edges simply supported, is investigated based on 3D thermoelasticity. As for the arbitrary boundary conditions, a semi-analytical solution is presented via a hybrid approach combining the state space method and the technique of differential quadrature. The temperature field in the plate is determined according to the steady-state 3D thermal conduction. The Mori-Tanaka method with a power-law volume fraction profile is used to predict the effective material properties including the bulk and shear moduli, while the effective coefficient of thermal expansion and the thermal conductivity are estimated using other micromechanics-based models. To facilitate the implementation of state space analysis through the thickness direction, the approximate laminate model is employed to reduce the inhomogeneous plate into a homogeneous laminate that delivers a state equation with constant coefficients. The present solutions are validated by comparisons with the exact ones for both thin and thick plates. Effects of gradient indices, volume fraction of ceramics, and boundary conditions on the thermomechanical behavior of functionally graded plates are discussed. © 2009 Zhejiang University and Springer-Verlag GmbH.