Proper Generalized Decomposition for Parametric Study and Material Distribution Design of Multi-Directional Functionally Graded Plates Based on 3D Elasticity Solution

The use of mesh-based numerical methods for a 3D elasticity solution of thick plates involves high computational costs. This particularly limits parametric studies and material distribution design problems because they need a large number of independent simulations to evaluate the effects of material distribution and optimization. In this context, in the current work, the Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD) technique is adopted to overcome this difficulty and solve the 3D elasticity problems in a high-dimensional parametric space. PGD is an a priori model order reduction technique that reduces the solution of 3D partial differential equations into a set of 1D ordinary differential equations, which can be solved easily. Moreover, PGD makes it possible to perform parametric solutions in a unified and efficient manner. In the present work, some examples of a parametric elasticity solution and material distribution design of multi-directional FGM composite thick plates are presented after some validation case studies to show the applicability of PGD in such problems.