Development of DKT Finite Element Formulation for Thermal Bending of Thin Plate

Abstract

The finite element formulation for thermal bending analysis of a thin plate due to the temperature gradient through its thickness is presented. The formulation is developed for the Discrete Kirchhoff Triangle (DKT) element to analyze the plate bending behavior under the thermal loading. The finite element load vector is derived in closedform expressions so that the numerical integration is not required. Solution accuracy of the developed DKT finite element is evaluated by several examples. Performance of the developed DKT finite element is also compared with the effective nonconforming triangular element (BCIZ element). Results show that the developed DKT finite element formulation provides high solution accuracy for analysis of plate bending problem under thermal loading.