Vibration and symmetric thermal buckling of asymmetric annular sandwich plates with piezoelectric/GPLRC layers rested on foundation

Abstract

Abstract The investigation of thermal load on the graphene-platelets-reinforced composite (GPLRC) is an important issue for developing composite structures in aerospace applications like the spacecraft in near-Sun missions. This paper presents vibration and symmetric thermal buckling behaviors of an annular sandwich plate that consists of two asymmetric piezoelectric surface layers and one GPLRC core layer. The plate is rested on Pasternak foundation. Modified Halpin-Tsai micromechanical model and the rule of mixtures are utilized to calculate the effective material properties. Basic equations are obtained according to the first-order shear deformation theory in which von Karman s nonlinearity is considered. Then governing equations are derived based on Hamilton s principle and Maxwell static electricity equation. The differential quadrature method is introduced to solve these governing equations under different boundary conditions. Effects of the geometrical sizes, dispersion patterns and weight fractions of graphene-platelets, asymmetric laying of piezoelectric layers, and temperature variation on natural frequencies and critical buckling temperatures of the annular plate are discussed. Results reveal that adding graphene-platelets into the matrix can increase the fundamental natural frequency, while decline the thermal buckling temperature. The combined action of asymmetric configuration of piezoelectric layers and distribution patterns of graphene-platelets has a significant influence on the vibration and thermal buckling.