Linear thermal buckling analysis of truncated hybrid FGM conical shells

In this study buckling analysis of a functionally graded conical shell integrated with piezoelectric layers that is subjected to combined action of thermal and electrical loads is presented. The material properties of functionally graded conical shells are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness direction based on a power law form. The governing equations, including the equilibrium and stability equations, are obtained based on the classical shell theory and the Sanders nonlinear kinematics relations. The case of uniform temperature distribution through the shell domain is considered. The prebuckling forces are obtained considering the membrane solutions of linear equilibrium equations. Minimum potential energy criterion is employed to establish the stability equations. The single-mode Galerkin method is used to obtain the critical buckling temperature difference. The results are compared with the known data in the open literature. Finally, some numerical results are presented to study the effects of applied actuator voltage, shell geometry, and power law index of FGM on thermal buckling behavior of the conical shell. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.