A semi-analytical three-dimensional free vibration analysis of functionally graded curved panels integrated with piezoelectric layers

Abstract Free vibration analysis of functionally graded (FG) curved panels integrated with piezoelectric layers under various boundary conditions is studied. A panel with two opposite edges is simply supported, and arbitrary boundary conditions at the other edges are considered. Two different models of material property variations based on the power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents and the exponential law distribution of the material properties through the thickness are considered. Based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity, an approach combining the state space method and the differential quadrature method (DQM) is used. For the simply supported boundary conditions, closed-form solution is given by making use of the Fourier series expansion, and applying the differential quadrature method to the state space formulations along the axial direction, new state equations about state variables at discrete points are obtained for the other cases such as clamped or free-end conditions. Natural frequencies of the hybrid curved panels are presented by solving the eigenfrequency equation, which can be obtained by using edges boundary conditions in this state equation. The results obtained for only FGM shell is verified by comparing the natural frequencies with the results obtained in the literature.