3D analytical solution for a functionally graded transversely isotropic piezoelectric circular plate under tension and bending

A three-dimensional (3D) analysis of a functionally graded piezoelectric circular plate under tension and bending is carried out. A direct displacement method is developed, with analytical solutions obtained for plate with either free or simply-supported edge conditions. The material properties of the plate can vary arbitrarily along the thickness except that the strain-energy function should be positive definite as required for stable materials and certain integrable conditions are assumed valid during the derivation. The validity of the present solutions is discussed both analytically and numerically. Numerical analyses are made for a specific functionally graded material to show the influence of material heterogeneity on the piezoelastic field.