Plate analysis with different geometries and arbitrary boundary conditions.

摘要

This thesis work deals with the study of plates with various geometries and different boundary conditions. The method of study is carried out mainly using the Galerkin method combined with the help of the symbolic algebraic software, Mathematica. In this thesis, flat plates with rectangular and triangular geometries are subjected to uniform load acting normal to their surfaces. The lateral deflection of the plates is expressed in a series of polynomials which satisfy the homogenous boundary conditions. Mathematica is used in handling the algebraic operations to solve for the coefficients and generating the trial functions. The maximum deflection of the plate for various geometries and boundary conditions is determined.;Then the results obtained are compared with the exact solution which is carried out with the use of the finite element analysis software, Ansys. The results obtained from the present method show good agreement with those from Ansys.