Buckling and post-buckling analyses for an axially compressed laminated cylindrical shell of FGM with PFRC in thermal environments

In this paper, investigation on buckling and post-buckling behaviors of a laminated cylindrical shell of functionally graded material (FGM) with the piezoelectric fiber reinforced composite (PFRC) actuators subjected to thermal and axial compressed loads is presented. Based on the Donnell assumptions, the material properties of the FGM layer vary smoothly through the laminated cylindrical shell thickness according to a power law distribution of the volume fraction of constituent materials. In the present study, a numerical procedure for the laminated cylindrical shell is used based on the Ritz energy method and the nonlinear strain–displacement relations. Some useful discussion and numerical examples are presented to show various effects of temperature field, volume fraction and geometric parameters on the buckling and post-buckling behaviors of the laminated cylindrical shell with PFRC.

► The critical buckling load is affected by the volume fraction index.
► The control voltage has a great effect on the buckling behavior of the structure.
► The critical buckling load is affected considerably by R/H.