Vibrations of an Incompressible Linearly Elastic Plate Using Discontinuous Finite Element Basis Functions for Pressure

Abstract

We numerically analyze, with the finite element method, free vibrations of incompressible rectangular plates under different boundary conditions with a third-order shear and normal deformable theory (TSNDT) derived by Batra. The displacements are taken as unknowns at the nodes of a 9-node quadrilateral element and the hydrostatic pressure at four interior nodes. The plate theory satisfies the incompressibility condition, and the basis functions satisfy the Babuska-Brezzi condition. Because of the singular mass matrix, Moler's QZ algorithm (also known as the generalized Schur decomposition) is used to solve the resulting eigenvalue problem. Computed results for simply supported, clamped, and clamped-free rectangular isotropic plates agree well with the corresponding analytical frequencies of simply supported plates and with those found using the commercial software, abaqus, for other edge conditions. In-plane modes of vibrations are clearly discerned from mode shapes of square plates of aspect ratio 1/8 for all three boundary conditions. The magnitude of the transverse normal strain at a point is found to equal the sum of the two axial strains implying that higher-order plate theories that assume null transverse normal strain will very likely not provide good solutions for plates made of rubberlike materials that are generally taken to be incompressible. We have also compared the presently computed through-the-thickness distributions of stresses and the hydrostatic pressure with those found using abaqus.