Nonlinear cylindrical bending analysis of E-FGM plates with variable thickness

This paper presents a study of the nonlinear cylindrical bending of an exponential functionally graded plate (simply called E-FG) with variable thickness. The plate is subjected to uniform pressure loading and his geometric nonlinearity is introduced in the strain-displacement equations based on Von-Karman assumptions. The material properties of functionally graded plates, except the Poisson's ratio, are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness of the plate in accordance with the exponential law distribution; and the solution is obtained using Hamilton's principle for constant plate thickness. In order to analyze functionally graded plate with variable thickness, a numerical solution using finite difference method is used, where parabolic variation of the plate thickness is studied. The results for E-FG plates are given in dimensionless graphical forms; and the effects of material and geometric properties on displacements and normal stresses through the thickness are determined.