Hybrid graded element model for transient heat conduction in functionally graded materials

This paper presents a hybrid graded element model for the transient heat conduction problem in functionally graded materials （FGMs）. First, a Laplace transform approach is used to handle the time variable. Then, a fundamental solution in Laplace space for FGMs is constructed. Next, a hybrid graded element is formulated based on the obtained fundamental solution and a frame field. As a result, the graded properties of FGMs are naturally reflected by using the fundamental solution to interpolate the intra-element field. Further, Stefest＇s algorithm is employed to convert the results in Laplace space back into the time-space domain. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is assessed by several benchmark examples. The results demonstrate well the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTION BASED GRADED ELEMENT MODEL FOR STEADY-STATE HEAT TRANSFER IN FGM

A novel hybrid graded element model is developed in this paper for investigating thermal behavior of functionally graded materials （FGMs）. The model can handle a spatially varying material property field of FGMs. In the proposed approach, a new variational functional is first constructed for generating corresponding finite element model. Then, a graded element is formulated based on two sets of independent temperature fields. One is known as intra-element temperature field defined within the element domain; the other is the so-called frame field defined on the element boundary only. The intra-element temperature field is constructed using the linear combination of fundamental solutions, while the independent frame field is separately used as the boundary interpolation functions of the element to ensure the field continuity over the interelement boundary. Due to the properties of fundamental solutions, the domain integrals appearing in the variational functional can be converted into boundary integrals which can significantly simplify the calculation of generalized element stiffness matrix. The proposed model can simulate the graded material properties naturally due to the use of the graded element in the finite element （FE） model. Moreover, it inherits all the advantages of the hybrid Trefftz finite element method （HT-FEM） over the conventional FEM and boundary element method （BEM）. Finally, several examples are presented to assess the performance of the proposed method, and the obtained numerical results show a good numerical accuracy.

COUPLED THERMO-MECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADIENT WEAK/MICRO-DISCONTINUOUS INTERFACE WITH GRADED FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Coupled thermo-mechanical analysis of two bonded functionally graded materials subjected to thermal loads is conducted in this study with the graded finite element method. The thermal-mechanical properties of the bi-material interfaces are classified based on discontinuity degrees of their material properties and their derivatives at the interfaces. Numerical results indicate that discontinuity exerts remarkable effect on the temperature profile and stress value at the interface of two bonded functionally-graded materials. Under the thermal flux loading conditions, the stronger the interface discontinuity is, the smaller the heat flux is.