Large Deformation Problem of Bimodular Functionally-Graded Thin Circular Plates Subjected to Transversely Uniformly-Distributed Load: Perturbation Solution without Small-Rotation-Angle Assumption

In this study, the large deformation problem of a functionally-graded thin circular plate subjected to transversely uniformly-distributed load and with different moduli in tension and compression (bimodular property) is theoretically analyzed, in which the small-rotation-angle assumption, commonly used in the classical Föppl–von Kármán equations of large deflection problems, is abandoned. First, based on the mechanical model on the neutral layer, the bimodular functionally-graded property of materials is modeled as two different exponential functions in the tensile and compressive zones. Thus, the governing equations of the large deformation problem are established and improved, in which the equation of equilibrium is derived without the common small-rotation-angle assumption. Taking the central deflection as a perturbation parameter, the perturbation method is used to solve the governing equations, thus the perturbation solutions of deflection and stress are obtained under different boundary constraints and the regression of the solution is satisfied. Results indicate that the perturbation solutions presented in this study have higher computational accuracy in comparison with the existing perturbation solutions with small-rotation-angle assumption. Specially, the computational accuracies of external load and yield stress are improved by 17.22% and 28.79% at most, respectively, by the numerical examples. In addition, the small-rotation-angle assumption has a great influence on the yield stress at the center of the bimodular functionally-graded circular plate.