Elasticity solutions for a transversely isotropic functionally graded annular sector plate.

This paper presents three-dimensional elasticity solutions for an annular sector plate made of transversely isotropic functionally graded material (FGM) subjected to concentrated forces $$\left( X,Y,0 \right) $$ or couples $$\left( M_X,M_Y,M_Z\right) $$ applied at one of its radial edges. The elastic coefficients can vary arbitrarily through the plate thickness. The analysis was based on the assumed forms of displacements for bending of an FGM plate (Mian and Spencer in J Mech Phys Solids 4:2283-2295, 1998), in which the four analytical functions were constructed properly. Appropriate boundary conditions and end conditions similar to those in the classic plate theory were employed to determine the unknown constants contained in the analytical functions so as to accomplish the analysis. When the material coefficients are all constant, the obtained analytical solutions can be degenerated into those for a homogeneous transversely isotropic annular sector plate, which have never been reported before. The solutions may be further reduced to those for a homogeneous isotropic annular sector plate, among which the ones for concentrated couples $$\left( M_X ,M_Y,0 \right) $$ are also new to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]