Closed form solutions for free vibrations of rectangular Mindlin plates

A new two-eigenfunctions theory, using the amplitude deflection and the generalized curvature as two fundamental eigenfunctions, is proposed for the free vibration solutions of a rectangular Mindlin plate. The three classical eigenvalue differential equations of a Mindlin plate are reformulated to arrive at two new eigenvalue differential equations for the proposed theory. The closed form eigensolutions, which are solved from the two differential equations by means of the method of separation of variables are identical with those via Kirchhoff plate theory for thin plate, and can be employed to predict frequencies for any combinations of simply supported and clamped edge conditions. The free edges can also be dealt with if the other pair of opposite edges are simply supported. Some of the solutions were not available before. The frequency parameters agree closely with the available ones through pb-2 Rayleigh-Ritz method for different aspect ratios and relative thickness of plate.

CHARACTERISTIC EQUATIONS AND CLOSED-FORM SOLUTIONS FOR FREE VIBRATIONS OF RECTANGULAR MINDLIN PLATES

The direct separation of variables is used to obtain the closed-form solutions for the free vibrations of rectangular Mindlin plates. Three different characteristic equations are derived by using three different methods. It is found that the deflection can be expressed by means of the four characteristic roots and the two rotations should be expressed by all the six characteristic roots,which is the particularity of Mindlin plate theory. And the closed-form solutions,which satisfy two of the three governing equations and all boundary conditions and are accurate for rectangular plates with moderate thickness,are derived for any combinations of simply supported and clamped edges. The free edges can also be dealt with if the other pair of opposite edges is simply supported. The present results agree well with results published previously by other methods for different aspect ratios and relative thickness.

EXACT SOLUTIONS FOR FREE VIBRATION OF TRANSVERSELY ISOTROPIC PIEZOELECTRIC CIRCULAR PLATES

By employing the general solution for coupled three-dimensional equations of a transversely isotropic piezoelectric body, this paper investigates the free vibration of a circular plate made of piezoelectric material. Three-dimensional exact solutions are then obtained under two specified boundary conditions, which can be used for both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric cases. Numerical results are finally presented.

Closed-form solutions for free vibration of rectangular FGM thin plates resting on elastic foundation

This article presents closed-form solutions for the frequency analysis of rectangular functionally graded material (FGM) thin plates subjected to initially in-plane loads and with an elastic foundation. Based on classical thin plate theory, the governing differential equations are derived using Hamilton's principle. A neutral surface is used to eliminate stretching-bending coupling in FGM plates on the basis of the assumption of constant Poisson's ratio. The resulting governing equation of FGM thin plates has the same form as homogeneous thin plates. The separation-of-variables method is adopted to obtain solutions for the free vibration problems of rectangular FGM thin plates with separable boundary conditions, including, for example, clamped plates. The obtained normal modes and frequencies are in elegant closed forms, and present formulations and solutions are validated by comparing present results with those in the literature and finite element method results obtained by the authors. A parameter study reveals the effects of the power law index n and aspect ratio a/b on frequencies.

New exact solutions for free vibrations of rectangular thin plates by symplectic dual method

The separation of variables is employed to solve Hamiltonian dual form of eigenvalue problem for transverse free vibrations of thin plates, and formulation of the natural mode in closed form is performed. The closed-form natural mode satisfies the governing equation of the eigenvalue problem of thin plate exactly and is applicable for any types of boundary conditions. With all combinations of simplysupported （S） and clamped （C） boundary conditions applied to the natural mode, the mode shapes are obtained uniquely and two eigenvalue equations are derived with respect to two spatial coordinates, with the aid of which the normal modes and frequencies are solved exactly. It was believed that the exact eigensolutions for cases SSCC, SCCC and CCCC were unable to be obtained, however, they are successfully found in this paper. Comparisons between the present results and the FEM results validate the present exact solutions, which can thus be taken as the benchmark for verifying different approximate approaches.

Mixed finite element and differential quadrature method for free and forced vibration and buckling analysis of rectangular plates

This paper presents a combined application of the finite element method （FEM） and the differential quadrature method （DQM） to vibration and buckling problems of rectangular plates. The proposed scheme combines the geometry flexibility of the FEM and the high accuracy and efficiency of the DQM. The accuracy of the present method is demonstrated by comparing the obtained results with those available in the literature. It is shown that highly accurate results can be obtained by using a small number of finite elements and DQM sample points. The proposed method is suitable for the problems considered due to its simplicity and potential for further development.

Free vibration of functionally graded sandwich plates using four-variable refined plate theory

This paper uses the four-variable refined plate theory （RPT） for the free vibration analysis of functionally graded material （FGM） sandwich rectangular plates. Unlike other theories, there are only four unknown functions involved, as compared to five in other shear deformation theories. The theory presented is variationally consistent and strongly similar to the classical plate theory in many aspects. It does not require the shear correction factor, and gives rise to the transverse shear stress variation so that the transverse shear stresses vary parabolically across the thickness to satisfy free surface conditions for the shear stress. Two common types of FGM sandwich plates are considered, namely, the sandwich with the FGM facesheet and the homogeneous core and the sandwich with the homogeneous facesheet and the FGM core. The equation of motion for the FGM sandwich plates is obtained based on Hamilton＇s principle. The closed form solutions are obtained by using the Navier technique. The fundamental frequencies are found by solving the eigenvalue problems. The validity of the theory is shown by comparing the present results with those of the classical, the first-order, and the other higher-order theories. The proposed theory is accurate and simple in solving the free vibration behavior of the FGM sandwich plates.

Element-free Galerkin method for free vibration of rectangular plates with interior elastic point supports and elastically restrained edges

The element-free Galerkin method is proposed to solve free vibration of rectangular plates with finite interior elastic point supports and elastically restrained edges.Based on the extended Hamilton＇s principle for the elastic dynamics system,the dimensionless equations of motion of rectangular plates with finite interior elastic point supports and the edge elastically restrained are established using the element-free Galerkin method.Through numerical calculation,curves of the natural frequency of thin plates with three edges simply supported and one edge elastically restrained,and three edges clamped and the other edge elastically restrained versus the spring constant,locations of elastic point support and the elastic stiffness of edge elastically restrained are obtained.Effects of elastic point supports and edge elastically restrained on the free vibration characteristics of the thin plates are analyzed.

A FREE RECTANGULAR PLATE ON ELASTIC FOUNDATION

In the theory of elastic thin plates, the bending of a rectangular plate on the elastic foundation is also a difficult problem. This paper provides a rigorous solution by the method of superposition. It satisfies the differential eguation, the boundary conditions of the edges and the free corners. Thus we are led to a system of infinite simultaneous eguations. The problem solved is for a plate with a concentrated load at its center. The reactive forces from the foundation should be made to be in equilibrium with the concentrated force to see whether our calculation is correct or not.

EXACT SOLUTIONS FOR FREE VIBRATIONS OF TRANSVERSELY ISOTROPIC CIRCULAR PLATES

By virtue of the general solution of dynamic elasticity equations for transverse isotropy as well as the variable separation method, three-dimensional exact solutions of circular plates are obtained under two types of boundary conditions. The solutions can consider both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric cases. Solutions based on the classical plate theory and Mindlin plate theory are also presented under the corresponding boundary conditions. Numerical results are finally presented and comparisons between the three theories are made.

Analytical solutions of steady vibration of free rectangular plate on semi-infinite elastic foundation

The method of double Fourier transform Was employed in the analysis of the semi-infinite elastic foundation with vertical load. And an integral representations for the displacements of the semi-infinite elastic foundation was presented. The analytical solution of steady vibration of an elastic rectangle plate with four free edges on the semi-infinite elastic foundation was also given by combining the analytical solution of the elastic rectangle plate with the integral representation for displacements of the semiinfinite elastic foundation. Some computational results and the analysis on the influence of parameters were presented.

Double Symplectic Eigenfunction Expansion Method of Free Vibration of Rectangular Thin Plates

The free vibration problem of rectangular thin plates is rewritten as a new upper triangular matrixdifferential system.For the associated operator matrix,we find that the two diagonal block operators are Hamiltonian.Moreover,the existence and completeness of normed symplectic orthogonal eigenfunction systems of these two blockoperators are demonstrated.Based on the completeness,the general solution of the free vibration of rectangular thinplates is given by double symplectic eigenfunction expansion method.

BENDING OF RECTANGULAR THIN PLATES WITH FREE EDGES LAID ON TENSIONLESS WINKLER FOUNDATION

In this paper, the bending problem of rectangular thin plates with free edges laid on tensionless Winkler foundation has been solved by employing Fourier series with supplementary terms. By assuming proper form of series for deflection, the basic differential equation with given boundary conditions can be transformed into a set of infinite algebraic equations. Because the boundary of contact region cannot bedetermined in advance, these equations are weak nonlinear ones. They can be solved by using iterative procedures.

LARGE AMPLITUDE FREE VIBRATIONS OF LAMINATED COMPOSITE PLATES

This paper deals with large amplitude free flexural vibrations of laminated composite plates using a 9-node Heterosis degenerated isoparametric quadrilateral element, including the effects of transverse shear and rotary inertia. The nonlinear dynamic equations of the plates are formulated in von Karman's sense. Amplitude-frequency relationships are obtained through dynamic response history using; the Newmark numerical integration scheme. Detailed numerical results based on various parameters are presented for orthotropic laminated plates with different boundary conditions. The rectangular anti-symmetric cross-ply plates show the softening type of nonlinearity for initial small amplitudes. The displacement amplitudes decrease and nonlinear frequencies increase with the increment of time.

Free vibration of piezoelectric annular plate

General solutions for coupled three dimensional equations of piezoelectric media were used in this work to obtain some analytical solutions for free vibration of piezoelectric annular plates. These solutions not only satisfy the governing equations at every point in the concerned region but also satisfy the prescribed boundary conditions at every point on the boundaries. Therefore, they are three-dimensional exact. Numerical results are finally tabulated.

Free vibration analysis of non-homogeneous orthotropic plates resting on Pasternak elastic foundation by Rayleigh-Ritz method

Free vibration analysis of non-homogeneous orthotropic plates resting on a Pasternak type of elastic foundation is investigated. A set of admissible orthogonal polynomials are generated with Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization procedure and adopted in the Rayleigh-Ritz method. Accuracy and applicability of the method are examined by comparison of the results for different boundary conditions and material types with those available in literature. It is found that this method has good accuracy regardless of type of boundary condition and yields very accurate results even with low number of terms of orthogonal polynomials for the first mode of vibration. For higher modes of vibration, higher terms of orthogonal polynomials should be used. The effects of foundation parameter, density and non-homogeneity parameters on natural frequency are examined. It is concluded that natural frequency of plates are more sensitive to shearing layer coefficient rather than Winkler coefficient and density parameter has weakening effect on natural frequency.

Free axisymmetric vibration of FGM circular plates

Based on the three-dimensional theory, this work presents a direct displacement method to investigate the free axisymmetric vibration of transversely isotropic circular plates, whose material is functionally graded and properties obey the exponential law along the thickness direction of the plate. Under two boundary conditions, the solution satisfies all basic equations and the Corresponding boundary condition at every point. Thus, it is three-dimensional exact. Numerical examples are presented and compared with previous works. The present method can also be extended to the case of arbitrary distribution of the material properties along the thickness direction of the plate.

FREE VIBRATION OF ANISOTROPIC RECTANGULAR PLATES BY GENERAL ANALYTICAL METHOD

According to the differential equation for transverse displacement function of anisotropic rectangular thin plates in free vibration, a general analytical solution is established. This general solution, composed of the composite solutions of trigonometric function and hyperbolic function, can satisfy the problem of arbitrary boundary conditions along four edges. The algebraic polynomial with double sine series solutions can also satisfy the problem of boundary conditions at four corners. Consequently, this general solution can be used to solve the vibration problem of anisotropic rectangular plates with arbitrary boundaries accurately. The integral constants can be determined by boundary conditions of four edges and four corners. Each natural frequency and vibration mode can be solved by the determinate of coefficient matrix from the homogeneous linear algebraic equations equal to zero. For example, a composite symmetric angle ply laminated plate with four edges clamped has been calculated and discussed.

Free Vibration Analysis of Symmetrically Laminated Composite Plates on Elastic Foundation and Coupled with Stationary Fluid

Free vibration analysis of symmetrically laminated composite plates resting on Pasternak elastic support and coupled with an ideal, incompressible and inviscid fluid is the objective of the present work. The fluid domain is considered to be infinite in the length direction but bounded in the depth and width directions. In order to derive the eigenvalue equation, Rayleigh-Ritz method is applied for the fluid-plate-foundation system. The efficiency of the method is proved by comparison studies with those reported in the open literature. At the end, parametric studies are carried out to examine the impact of different parameters on the natural frequencies.

Accurate Free Vibration of Functionally Graded Skew Plates

The present study aims to analyze free vibration of thin skew plates made of functionally graded material(FGM)by using the weak form quadrature element method.The material properties vary continuously through the thickness according to a power-law form.A novel FGM skew plate element is formulated according to the neutral surface based plate theory and with the help of the differential quadrature rule.For verifications,Numerical results are compared with available data in literature.Results reveal that the non-dimensional frequency parameters of the FGM skew plates are independent of the power-law exponent and always proportional to those of homogeneous isotropic ones when the coupling and rotary inertias are neglected.In addition,employing the physical neutral surface based plate theory is equivalent to using the middle plane based plate theory with the reduced flexural modulus matrix.