Free Vibration Analysis of Functionally Graded Shell Panels in a Hygrothermal Environment

The free vibration behavior of functionally graded (FG) cylindrical shell panels is analyzed in the present research work. The modeled FG shell panels are subjected to the hygrothermal environment with uniform temperature and moisture rise. The considered FG cylindrical shell panel consist of metal and ceramic as its parent materials. The material properties are assumed to be temperature dependent and varies along the thickness direction using the power law function of volume fraction of constituents. The Shell interface in COMSOL Multiphysics (Ver. 5.6) is utilized to model FG shell panels. This interface employs the Mixed Interpolation of Tensorial Components (MITC) shell element, which utilizes a mixed interpolation approach to capture both thin and thick shell behavior. Here, the first order shear deformation theory is used to derive the equations of motions. The obtained findings are compared and validated against previously published literature to establish the precision and dependability of the proposed methodology. This present research paper discusses the utilization of COMSOL Multiphysics for the modeling and analysis of the FG shell panels under hygrothermal conditions. This research involves conducting detailed investigations that encompass the examination of different materials, boundary conditions, and volume fraction indexes. The objective of the study is to model FG shell panels using COMSOL Multiphysics and to enhance comprehension of the behavior of FG shell panels in a hygrothermal environment.