Nonlinear thermal analysis of multilayered composite and FGM plates with temperature-dependent properties based on an asymptotic numerical method

In this paper, a mathematical procedure is elaborated based on large deformation, finite element and perturbation methods for thermo-large amplitude analysis of anisotropic laminated and sandwich FGM plates with temperature-dependent properties. Nonlinear thermal dependence distribution following a power law is adapted. Various types of multilayered composite plates with position and temperature-dependent material properties are considered. Mathematical formulations and explicit relationships are presented in the frame of finite element methods. The structure is subjected to linear and uniform temperature variations. The temperature and the displacement are expanded in power series with unknown terms, and the numerical solution is obtained by the finite element method. The homotopy method is used for nonlinear thermal buckling, and a continuation procedure is elaborated for nonlinear thermal-displacement responses. The nonlinear thermal critical buckling load is first computed and the postbuckling equilibrium path of FGM and laminated plates under thermal loading is investigated. Temperature-dependent properties and geometry effects as well as boundary conditions on the nonlinear thermal buckling and postbuckling behaviors are analyzed.