The elastic response of functionally graded cylindrical shells to low-velocity impact

This paper deals with the problem of functionally graded (FG) cylindrical s hells subjected to low-velocity impact by a solid striker. An analytic solu tion to predict the impact response of the FG cylindrical shells with one l ayer or multi-layers is presented, The solution includes both contact defor mation and transverse shear deformation. The effective material properties of functionally graded materials (FGMs) for the cylindrical shells are assu med to vary continuously through the shell thickness and are graded in the shell thickness direction according to a volume fraction power law distribu tion. This is implemented in the governing equation of motion and thus incl uded in the present solution. Four types of FG cylindrical shells composed of stainless steel and silicon nitride are configured and their transient r esponses to impact are computed using the present solution. The effects of the constituent volume fraction and the FGM configuration on the transient response of the laminated cylindrical shell induced by impact are examined. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.