The deflection problem of circular plates of variable thickness with
fixed edges under uniform loaded is considered in this paper. When the
thickness of the thin plate along the diameter section follows an
exponential function curve, new approximate decomposition solution of
the kind of deflection problems is constructed by the Adomian
decomposition method. Based on the approximate decomposition solution,
the influence of different design of the thickness change for the thin
circular plate of variable thickness on the deflection, the radial
bending stress and the tangential stress of the thin plate is discussed.
The radial bending stress and the tangential stress of the plate of
variable thickness at the center and the edge are analyzed with the
parameters of thickness change of the plates through its 2-dimensional
graphs. The center deflection of the plates of variable thickness is
discussed with the parameters of thickness change of the plates through
its 2-dimensional graph. From those discussions, one can see the radial
bending stress and the tangential stress of the plate at the center tend
to decrease after increasing to a certain level with the increase of the
parameter. The center deflection and the absolute values of the radial
bending stress and the tangential stress of the plate at the edge are
increase along a curve as exponential curve with the increase of the
parameter.