Nonlinear vibration of hybrid laminated plates resting on elastic foundations in thermal environments

This paper deals with large amplitude vibration of hybrid laminated plates containing piezoelectric layers resting on an elastic foundation in thermal environments. The motion equation of the plate that includes plate-foundation interaction is based on a higher order shear deformation plate theory and solved by a two-step perturbation technique. The thermo-piezoelectric effects are also included and the material properties of both orthotropic layers and piezoelectric layers are assumed to be temperature-dependent. The numerical illustrations concern nonlinear vibration characteristics of unsymmetric cross-ply and antisymmetric angle-ply laminated plates with fully covered or embedded piezoelectric actuators under different sets of thermal and electrical loading conditions. The results show that the foundation stiffness and stacking sequence have a significant effect on the nonlinear vibration characteristics of the hybrid laminated plate. The results also reveal that the temperature rise reduces the natural frequency, but it only has a small effect on the nonlinear to linear frequency ratios of the hybrid laminated plate. The results confirm that the effect of the applied voltage on the natural frequency and the nonlinear to linear frequency ratios of the hybrid laminated plate is marginal except the plate is sufficiently thin.