Second-Order Shear Deformation Theory to Analyze Stress Distribution for Solar Functionally Graded Plates#

Second-order shear deformation theory (SSDT) is applied to evaluate the displacement and stress fields of a solar functionally graded plate (SFGP) due to mechanical loadings. The material properties are graded by a simple power law between Full-ceramic and Full-metal at upper and lower surfaces, respectively. Navier's method is applied to find analytical results for derived equations by using energy method in case of simply supported boundary conditions. The effects of the material grading index of the plate on the stresses and displacements are investigated. It is revealed that the longitudinal stresses in the functionally graded (FG) plates lie between full-metal and full-ceramic plates. It is found that the neutral axes for SFGP move to upper surface and not at the mid-surface as predicted in the homogeneous plates. The SSDT has computed acceptable results for in-plane stresses and displacement fields when compared with the existing literatures.