Thermal Buckling of Simply Supported Piezoelectric FGM Cylindrical Shells

Abstract

Abstract A thermal buckling analysis is presented for functionally graded cylindrical shells that are integrated with surface-bonded piezoelectric actuators and are subjected to the combined action of thermal load and constant applied actuator voltage. The material properties are assumed to vary as a power form of the thickness coordinate. Derivation of the equations is based on the higher-order shear deformation shell theory using the Sanders nonlinear kinematic relations. Results for the buckling temperatures are obtained in the closed form solution. The effects of the applied actuator voltage, shell geometry, and volume fraction exponent of functionally graded material on the buckling temperature are investigated. The results for simpler states are validated with known data in the literature. Keywords: Cylindrical shellsFGMPiezoelectricThermal buckling Notes a Where L/R = 1, h/R = 0.005. Communicated by Theodore R. Tauchert on January 8, 2007.