Thermal Buckling Analysis of Functionally Graded Plates
Summary
Functionally graded plates are composite structures whose material properties vary continuously through the thickness, often following a power-law or exponential distribution. Such gradation enables tailored thermal and mechanical responses, making these plates ideal for high-performance applications in aerospace, automotive and energy sectors. Thermal buckling analysis examines the critical temperature difference at which a flat plate loses stability under thermal loading. Classical plate theories provide initial insights but neglect transverse shear deformations, which become significant in moderately thick plates. First-order and higher-order shear deformation theories extend classical models by incorporating shear strains and more accurate displacement fields. Geometric nonlinearity, often described by von Kármán relations, captures the coupling between in-plane stretching and out-of-plane deflections, essential for post-buckling investigations. Temperature-dependent material properties, elastic foundations and boundary constraints further influence the critical buckling temperature and post-buckling behaviour. Recent advances include fully coupled thermo-elastic shell models that resolve three-dimensional stress fields, improved closed-form solutions for various boundary conditions and temperature fields, and numerical techniques to predict buckling under non-uniform or transient thermal environments. These developments enhance reliability in design, enabling lighter, stronger and thermally stable components across a range of industries.
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Thermal Buckling Analysis of Functionally Graded Plates publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in thermal buckling analysis of functionally graded plates across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Functionally graded material (FGM): A composite with continuous variation in composition and properties across its thickness.
Thermal buckling: Loss of structural stability when thermal stresses exceed a critical threshold.
Shear deformation theory: Plate theory that accounts for transverse shear strains, including first-order (FSDT) and higher-order (HSDT) formulations.
Power-law distribution: Mathematical model describing variation of constituent volume fractions through plate thickness.
Elastic foundation: Idealised support model, e.g., Winkler or Pasternak, that provides reactive pressure proportional to deflection (and shear interactions).
Von Kármán nonlinearity: Geometric nonlinearity capturing coupling between in-plane and out-of-plane deformations in moderately large deflections.
Post-buckling behaviour: Structural response and load-carrying capacity beyond the initial buckling event.
References
- A Layer-Wise Coupled Thermo-Elastic Shell Model for Three-Dimensional Stress Analysis of Functionally Graded Material Structures. Technologies (2023).
- Thermal buckling analysis of ceramic-metal functionally graded plates. Natural Science (2010).
- Thermal Buckling and Free Vibration Analysis of Functionally Graded Plate Resting on an Elastic Foundation According to High Order Shear Deformation Theory Based on New Shape Function. Applied Sciences (2020).
- Closed Form Solutions for Thermal Buckling of Functionally Graded Rectangular Thin Plates. Applied Sciences (2017).
- Numerical investigation of thermal buckling and post-buckling behavior of an EN AW 6016-T4 car roof assembled in a steel body-in-white★. Mechanics & Industry (2023).
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