ISOGEOMETRIC ANALYSIS ON COMPOSITE PLATE USING HIGHER ORDER SHEAR DEFORMATION THEORY

Abstract

The present work discusses the applicability of Isogeometric analysis (IGA) in performing the dynamic analysis of composite plates under variable loading conditions. A strong foundation for precisely projecting the mechanical behavior of composite structures is provided by the integration of IGA and higher HSDT, which gets around some of the drawbacks of more conventional Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods. HSDT formulation requires C1 continuity requirements of field variables, which is sufficiently addressed by IGA due to its inherent continuity imposition in basis functions. Hence, providing a viable method for the analysis of composite plates with non-linear force distribution. This thesis investigates this novel methodology's theoretical underpinnings and numerical applications in determining superiority in material behavior for composites by performing transient analysis. The accuracy and computing efficiency of the approach are assessed by comparing the obtained results with the available literature. A comparative study of various composite plates are presented and carbon epoxy nano composites is found to outperform all under all loading types. Nonetheless, the proposed IGA-HSDT model evaluates benefits and drawbacks of different materials, and outlines possible future paths.